Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	place_n	scripture_n	word_n	9,705	5	4.5641	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90625	The voice of the Spirit. Or, An essay towards a discoverie of the witnessings of the spirit by opening and answering these following queries. Q. 1. What is the witnessing worke of the Spirit? 2 How doth the Spirit witnesse to a soule its adoption? 3. Who are capable of attaining the witnessings of the Spirit? 4. How may a soul know its injoyment of them? 5. By what meanes may a soule attaine them? To which is added. Roses from Sharon or sweet experiences reached out by Christ to some of his beloved ones in this wildernes. / By Samuel Petto preacher of the Gospell at Sandcroft in Suffolke.	Petto, Samuel, 1624?-1711.	1654 (1654)	Wing P1903; Thomason E1500_2; ESTC R208647	109,805	256

39. c. but the Lords end herein was not to lead him into contradictory apprehensions to his Oath that he had passed just before but to give him an opportunity to beleeve above and against hope 7. In all importunities with God for the testimonie of his Spirit make use of arguments drawne from God himselfe doe not present the Lord with your prayers or any performances of your owne but urge his Name Nature Word or free promise c. Isai 63. v. 15. He pleadeth and expostulateth with the Lord Where is thy zeale and strength the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards me are they restrained And presently there is Assurance v. 16. Doubtles thou art our Father So Exod. 34.6 The Lord proclaimeth that he pardoneth iniquity transgression and sin and Moses taketh advantage to challenge God of his word a long time after Numb 14. v. 17 18. As thou hast spoken saying The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity and at last he drew out a testimonie from the Lord. v. 20. I have pardoned according to thy word 8. Seeke for much inward acquaintance with the written word the word declareth what faith is and so for other graces It is the touchstone to try a testimonie by that is attained It is a preservative against sin and temptation if hidden in the heart Psal 119.11 Math. 4.10 and these yeelded to doe tend to weaken and darken Assurance Here I shall adde a few Rules about making use of Scripture that may be profitable not onely towards Assurance but to other ends also 1. Some spirituall Considerations seen to arise from the Word may be made use of as well as expresse Scriptures if thou hast a temptation that thou can'st not finde any expresse Scripture to helpe thee against it yet some Scripturall Consideration may be beneficiall towards thy reliefe and soule-establishment Psal 73. He was tempted by the prosperity of the wicked and the adversity of the Sainte to say v. 13. Verily have cleansed my heart in vaine and he was at a great losse v. 16 17. When I thought to know this it was too painfull for me untill I went into the Sanctuary But how was he kept up against the temptation before his going into the Sanctuary v. 15. If I say I will speake thus behold I should offend against the generation of thy Children This spirituall consideration kept it from prevailing viz. That if he should affirme it he must say that the Lord never had a people on Earth for Adam Noah Abraham Isaac Jacob and all the Sonnes of God that ever were have been exercised with afflictions and crosses 2. That which is agreeable to the drift and consonant to the minde of God or his maine end in any Scripture it to he owned as of God though not contained in expresse words in Scripture A Christian is apt to be stumbled when some part of a Scripture though of a perfect and entire sence be cast in if there be a variation in some termes from the words of Scripture and hereupon he is ready to reject it and to reckon it not from God Whereas if it beareth the sence of some one place or hath the drift of the Lord in it thou oughtest to improve it if sutable to thy Condition else all interpretations of the word were useles Math. 4. v. 9. Satan tempted Christ to worship him and Christ opposeth him with Deut. 6.13 10.20 Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serve him By feare here is meant worship as feare Isa 29.13 is expounded by worship Math. 15.9 And serve him is intended exclusively of service to any other as appeareth Deut. 6.14 And though neither worship nor onely be found in the places he ●lledgeth and the chiefe stresse of the answer resteth upon those two words yet because that is the true sence meaning of them hence Christ saith It is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve So that Scriptures in the true sence of them are usefull against temptation and towards Comfort or any spirituall end though the very termes be not found in the Word that be in thy thoughts 3. A Scripture made use of in one condition may have much deducible from it that may be succouring to a soule in another condition or that which is used upon one occasion may be usefull on another occasion Math. 4. v. 7. It is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord Christ maketh use of that Scripture Deut. 6.16 Here it was spoken to Israel Christ alledgeth it against Satan Here Israel is forbidden tempting God as at Massab of which see Exod. 17. v. 1.7 In their distresse and want they tempted God by saying Is God among us Their not trusting God for extraordinary preservations and provisions is their tempting of him and yet Christ alledgeth it against trusting of God for extraordinary preservations without a Call to it or when ordinary meanes is afforded 4. A part of a Scripture may be intended for thy present advantage not the whole Math. 4. v. 7. Christ maketh use of but part of that Deut. 6.16 So much of it as wa● sutable to his present occasion So one part of a promise may be fulfilled to thee and it is no ground of questioning whither it were from the Lord or no because the whole of it is not accomplished to thee 5. A bare giving in of a word is not a safe ground for Conclusions about what is a soules duty or condition I observe that Christians in these dayes build much upon the giving or binting in of words When they are in a great ftreight about what is their duty or what they are called to if a written word be hinted though it speaketh nothing to the Case in hand neither expressely nor by Consequence yet if they have inclinations thereupon to one way more then another they are apt to Conclude their call to lie there Whereas if the word which is given in doth evidence this to be duty at this time or in this Condition then they have cause to blesse the Lord for the bringing to remembrance a word which is of Directive use to them But then they are to make not the giving in of the word but the word it felse the rule and warrant that this is their duty Others that know this or that to be the duty of beleevers yet they doe not set about it untill they have some particular word hinted in to encourage thereunto and they waite for this Blesse God when you have one but if the Spirit hath injoyned it once by the word which is its owne voyce it must needs be sin and disobedience to neglect the duty though he doth not adde inward impulsions to it Others upon the giving in of some Consolatory or witnessing word are apt to conciude about their in to dit in Christ thence But all these act very 〈…〉 1. Because Satan 〈◊〉 an hand in the

person and not by another So if it were onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Spirit witnesseth then it might be by a proxie gifts and graces but seing it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit himselfe this argueth it to be a peculiar worke of the Spirit requiring its own more Immediate presence Faith which is a grace may receive the testimonie but the Spirit giveth it and not graces in his stead else it should not be himselfe properly but graces for him As Water i. e. Sanctification is called a witnesse 1 Joh. 5.8 when graces testisie although it is the Spirit that causeth them to doe it yet the graces have the denomination for the witnes So here the Spirit himselfe is the witnes rather then graces though graces may be used about this as the Spirit is about the other And hence after the Apostle had told them of the usefulnesse of mortification and Conduct v. 13 14. for the clearing up of Justification and Adoption yet he foreseing that they might question their injoyment of these as well as their Justification therfore he addeth this as the highest meanes for knowledge which may hold when all others fayle The Spirit himselfe Argu. 2. From the aptitude of many written words or promises by application to witnesse I account it very unsafe to draw up such Conclusions from a Scripture cast in as it hath no naturall tendency to enforce neither in its scope or sence directly nor by consequence neither in the letter of it nor by application This mistake too many labour under in these dayes When they be dubious about what is their duty if a word cometh into their minds although it tendeth not to resolve the doubt looketh not the least that way yet that word is made a rule for action and the decider of the Controversie Whereas if it be applyed by the Spirit it is intended for some other use or end and not for the determination of a matter which is no wayes concerned in that Scripture For the Spirit doth not speake barely in letters syllables or words of Scripture but as these expresse things which are agreeable to the minde of Christ A man may be prophane and yet use the words of Scripture and Satan often commeth with an It is written Matth. 4.6 But there are many Scriptures of a witnessing nature which cannot be denyed this use Here are two things to be confirmed 1. That there is an aptitude in some Scriptures to witnesse 2. That the Spirit doth make application of these and that for such ends 1. That there is an aptitude in some Scriptures to witnesse or that they misse onely application from the Divine Spirit to make them witnessing to a particular soule I shall give a few instances amongst many for the clearing this truth Isai 41.10 Feare not for I am with thee I am thy God Isai 43. v. 25. I even I am be that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake I will not remember thy sinnes Matth. 9.2 Son be of good cheare thy sins be for given thee neither is this meant as to the present disease onely for Christ intended to give others a knowledge hereby of his power to forgive sins as v. 6. So Ezek. 36.25 I will sprinkle cleane water upon you ver 26. A new heart will I give you ver 27. I will put my Spirit within you ver 28. I will be your God Surely the Lord would not speake in such a particular way to men thy God and thy sins if he intended not their particular Assurance by the application of such words of the things spoken and that eyther of these have an aptitude to witnesse Adoption is undenyable What can satisfie a soule if this will not for the Lord to say I am thy God Is 41.10 If the Spirit doth but speake this over againe to our Spirit it is enough And to cleare it further 1. There are many assuring promises of speciall mercies which are consequential to Adoption Now these must needs have an aptitude by application to give Assurance of our interest in that which it a necessary Antedent as Isai 41.10 I will strengthen thee I will uphold thee 2 Cor. 12.9 My grace is sufficient for thee Heb. 13.5 I will never leave thee nor forsake thee 2. There are many Scriptures that directly tend to remove the grounds of a soules doubting of its Adoption as if it questioneth its interest in Christ because it is exercised with such heavy afflictions these Scriptures tend to remove that doubt Heb. 12.6 Whom the Lord loveth be chasteneth Rev. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten If the variety or violence of temptations which it hath mett withal be the ground of its doubting it may finde releife from Heb. 2.18 Hebr. 4.15 Christ was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin he was free from sinne yet was not free from temptation and so Christians may not look for exemption from temptation who abound with sin Yea it is expressely said we are tempted If the feeling strong workings of corruption puts the soule upon questioning its condition that may minister helpe that Paul an eminent Saint groaned under the same burden Rom. 7.15 yea he cryeth out with bitter lamentation ver 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death And thus many Scriptures have an aptitude to witnesse for it is their proper effect when applyed by the Spirit to remove such doubtings of Divine love as arise from such Causes which oftentimes are the onely obstacles in the way to Assurance 2. That the Spirit doth make application of such Scriptures unto particular soules and that for such Ends may appeare 1. From their aptitude to Witnesse that word Isui 41.10 I am thy God bringeth in God as speaking to a particular soule and telling it of its interest in himselfe it hath a witnessing voyce in the very letter of it and so carrieth evidence with it that this is its proper designe And that the Spirit doth apply words for the proper ends they so clearely point at is undeniable especially when the thing pointed at is undoubtedly a worke of the Divine Spirit as witnessing is 2. From a parity of reason the Spirit applyeth other words for those ends which they aptly serve to None will deny but that it may and doth reprove declineing Christians for leaving their first love by such a word as that Revel 2. v. 3.4.11 Or threaten lukewarme soules by Revel 3.16 Or convince carnally confident soules of the sadnes of their condition by Revel 3. v 17.22 And by the same reason it should apply the aforementioned Scriptures in a witnessing way unto doubting soules and hence when David was besieged and surrounded on every side with troubles and the Lord seemed to keepe silence he even putteth words into the mouth of God Psal 35.3 say thou i. e. by thy Spirit in some word or promise for this