Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	believe_v	faith_n	great_a	3,866	5	3.4970	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33929	A compendious discourse about some of the greatest matters of Christian faith propounded and explained between a minister and an enquiring Christian ... : and also may serve for an answer to two books, one called The practical discourse of the sovereignty of God, the other called The death of death, by the death of Christ, written by J.O. : whereunto is annexed a very brief appendix / written by T. Collier.	Collier, Thomas, fl. 1691.	1682 (1682)	Wing C5274; ESTC R20632	146,911	256

used to prove that which it does not at all intend it being so apparent that the Apostle speaks of the givings down of the Spirit in it's mighty works after believing and not in the first work of conversion it being the promise and was performed that the spirit should be given down abundantly upon believers after believing as clearly distinct from it's sacred work in the Gospel in begetting souls to the faith see for this Joh. 7. 38 39 Act. 2. 38 39. Eph. 1. 13. so that to apply the giving down of the Spirit according to promise after believing to the first work of faith and conversion is a very great weakness and mistake 2. The Apostle in that place intends not the giving down of the Spirit upon the Ephesians to whom he wrote much less to persons in the first work of faith it being evident that the Apostle throughout this chapter keeps the distinction between himself the ministers with him and the Church as was usual in his other Epistles from v. 1. to 13. he speaks to but not of the church but of themselves distinguished by We Us and Ye and v. 13. speaks of the church and from v. 16. to 19. speaks of themselves and lets the church to know the exceeding greatness of his power to us ward who believe i. e. to the Apostles in the mighty gifts of the spirit and works done by them for confirmation of the truth of the Gospel according to Mar. 16. 17 18. Heb. 2. 3 4. 3. I conclude that the work of faith and conversion of sinners is so far from being a m●racle as some pretend that it 's rather a marvel that so few believe and are converted certainly our Lord would not have marvelled at their unbelief Mar. 6. 6. nor grieved for their hardness of heart if they could not have believed without a miraculous work which he was able to have effected Mar. 3. 5. It 's true many believed on the sight of miracles done without them but we read not of any miracle done within them to work faith nor is the work of faith and turning to God at all called a miracle 4. And from the whole we have great cause to fear that the Spirit is much more talked of by us all than known and enjoyed either in it's operations in the Gospel to conversion or in its gifts according to promise and cause we have to mourn in the sense thereof that he should be so much amongst us in word and so little in Power If the Spirit of the Gospel were a spirit of Ignorance errour and pride a spirit of Worldlyness oppression envy hatred and division Were this the Spirit of the Gospel we have enough and too much of this But if the Spirit of Christ is indeed in its operations and effects the Spirit of Power of Love and of a sound mind 2 Tim. 1. 7. If it be the Spirit of Love Joy Peace long Suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith ●eckness Temperance Gal. 5. 22. 23. Then surely we have cause to complain as the Prophet Isa 24. 16. My leanness my leanness wo unto me Christ What think you of the work of Regeneration relative to the matter in hand I desire to enquire 1. What it is and 2. How it is effected Min. Without doubt it carryeth the sum of the matter in it and includes Faith Repentance and the whole of Gospel Conversion and turning to God But more particularly 1. Negatively what it is not it 's not any Conversion then a Conversion only from ●in might be it there may be many Convictions and Conversions too that may be far short of Regeneration and Persons may be and it 's to be feared that many are deceived herein 2. Affirmative what it is the word Regeneration I find but twice used in the New Testament in the terms thereof and not at all in the Old it being most proper to the New tho I doubt not but that the true sense thereof is often exprest Joh. 3. 3 5. And it implyeth and importeth a renewing returning or restoring to a new Estate And those two Scriptures in which it 's mentioned te●ds much to give us a tight understanding therein The 1. I shall mention is Tit. 3. 5. According 〈◊〉 his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit Which Regeneration here consisteth in our being by the Power of the Gospel begotten to believe the Truth of the glad tidings thereof relating to the Restitution and World to come our Faith must be in the Regeneration to come or else it 's none of the Faith of the Commission or of Regeneration Mar. 16. 15 16. Nor brings us under the promise of a share in the Regeneration to come it not being the Faith of Regeneration Regeneration begun here being a preparation to the Glory of the perfect Regeneration of and in the new and restored World The 2. Scripture is Mat. 19. 28. Ye which have followed me●n the Regeneration when the Son of M●● shall ●it on the Th●one of his Glory ye also shall sit upon twelve Th●●n●● u●●g●●g the twelve Tribes of Israel That this Regeneration relates to the New life in the New World at and after the Resurrection I think is by the Learned gener●●ly owned that the true reading and sense of the Words is ye that have followed me shall in the R●gen●●a●●en sit upon twelve Thrones c. That is in the new and restored World see Wilson's Scripture Dictionary on the Word the day and time of the last Judgment when our whole Nature being restored both Body and Soul shall enjoy the Heavenly inheritance Mat. 19 28. You which have followed me shall in the Regeneration sit upon twelve Thrones and the English Greek Lexicon on the Word the last day of the World and it 's so called because in it God will create a new Heaven and a n●w Earth and will perfectly ingender again a Man that is chosen Mat. 19. 28. And indeed this is properly the Regeneration time and state when all things shall be renewed restored and return to a new and better estate So that Regeneration may be thus defined When a Man doth truly believe the truth of the glad tidings reported in the Gospel by Jesus Christ Crucified for our sins raised and ascended into Heaven and shall come again from thence to perfect the Redemption viz. The Resurrection Regeneration and new World and to perfect his People with Himself therein and is in this Faith effectually turned to the Lord in heart and life according to the Gospel This i● Regeneration begun here which if persevered in will certainly issue in the perfect Regeneration and Glory in the World to come 2. How it 's effected and that is 1. For us by Jesus Christ Crucified Raised and Ascended in and by him the whole work is and shall be effected Act. 3. 21. Rev. 21. 5 12. 2. In us here the Lord begets us by the word of his Grace to

power which answereth the Gospel-Law and is accepted of God in Christ 2 Nor is it meritorious obedience imperfect cannot be meritorious but such as the Gospel requires as the terms of life and way in which we must walk to Glory so that Salvation is wholly of Grace Christ Tho I am well satisfied in what is said yet there being some Scriptures much urged against it I desire to enquire into them for mine own and others satisfaction the first is Joh. 6. 44. No man can come to me except the Father which sent me draw him Min. There are three cannots mentioned in Scripture The 1. Is an Ignorant cannot viz. For want of the means of Faith the Doctrine of the Gospel without which Men cannot believe and obey it Rom. 10. 14. How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard God always working by means and sutable to it no Man can believe the Gospel that never heard thereof The 2. Is a Customary and Traditional cannot Jer. 13. 23. Can the Ethiop●an change his skin or a Leopard his sports then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil Custom in sin makes it to become habitual and natural and begets a cannot next of kin to a will-not custom in Principles and Practice receiv'd by Tradition is very hard to be left woful experience declares the truth thereof The 3. Is a downright will-not a wilful cannot a resolvedness to cleave to sin and self inventions Joh. 50. 40. You will not come to me that you might have life Jer 2. 25. But thou saidst there is no hope no for I have loved strangers and after them will I go And ch 18. 12. But thou saidst there is no hope but we will walk after our own devices and will do every one the imaginations of his evil heart Now the cannot Christ speaks of must needs come under one or some of these three and that is Custom and Tradition wilfulness united by reason of which the cannot takes place 2. The manner of the Lords drawing is by the Gospel and that the next Verse explains every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me Gods drawing is by means and Ministry they must first hear and learn and then come to Christ but whose will not both hear and learn cannot come to Christ which was the present case with the Jews who instead of learning murmured against his Doctrine vers 41. 43. Hos 11. 4. I drew them with the Cords of a Man with the bands of Love I laid meat before them God lays the good things of the Gospel before Men which has a natural tendency to draw Souls to Christ and it 's the wilful cannot that hinders It being so far from truth to affirm that Man has no power to will his own good distinct from ignorance of what is for his good customariness or wilfulness or some other great temptation that he has not power really to will his own hurt God having placed that Law in nature not only of Men but of all sensitive Creatures to will their own good and safety so far as they understand it and have not power from God to Will the contrary but in the cases mentioned and with the helps afforded by God to cure the ignorance and wilfulness or any other hinderance Men might Will the best good Christ The 2. Scripture is 1 Cor. 2. 14. But the Natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned Min. 1. It 's true that Natural Men by reason without Gospel Revelation cannot understand or discern the Spiritual things of the Gospel this is an ignorant cannot vers 8. Or 2. They do not like love or favour the things of the Gospel when they hear it it 's foolishness to them and so they will none of it and this is a wilful cannot because they have no mind to it while they account it foolishness they cannot receive it 3. And most probably the Apostle intends the Corinthians to whom he writes who as he saith were Carnal and what difference in this place we may conceive between Natural and Carnal I do not understand apparent it is that the Corinthians were very Carnal and ignorant in the great things of the Gospel vers 12. 13. The Apostle speaks of himself and those Ministers with him see how vers 14. of ch 2 and ch 3. vers 1 2 3. will unite ch 2. 14. But the Natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned ch 3. 1. And I Brethren could not speak to you as unto Spiritual but as unto Carnal even as unto Babes in Christ I fed you with Milk c. For ye are yet Carnal It 's not only possible but too common for prosest Christians through their Naturalness and Carnalness i. e. Resolving to follow their own Natural Carnal and Customary notions in the things of the Gospel to account many of the Spiritual Gospel things of Jesus to be foolishness and while it is so they cannot understand those Spiritual Gospel things and yet may be high in other Gifts which was the case of the Corinthians see 1 Cor. 1. 5 6 7. with ch 3. 1. 2. Christ The 3. Scripture is Phil. 1. 13. It is God that worketh in you to Will and to do of his good pleasure This Scripture is much urged by some in this matter Min. It may be as properly r●ad it is God that worketh in you and will work for his good pleasure so that the intention of the words plainly i● to encourage to the duties exhorted to viz. Do you your duty and God will assist you therein up and be d●●●g and the Lord will be with you he worketh and will work willing Christians shall not want Divine assistance this is the sum of this matter Christ If God only give the power of Willing and ●●t the Will it self have not those that do will and obey the Gospel cause of Glorying in themselves that they had better Wills than others that obey not and s● give not the Glory of Willing is will a● the power to Will unto God and so 〈…〉 of Willing to themselves the Scripture 〈…〉 maketh thee to differ And what 〈…〉 thou not received 1 Cor. 4. 7. Min. Here seems with s●me to ●e the great streight in this matter 〈◊〉 Then if God has 〈◊〉 nothing for us to do in his power nor 〈◊〉 nor 〈◊〉 then cannot any thing done by 〈◊〉 be truly s●● to 〈◊〉 our duty or our work in any sense nor can there be any reward of grace for any thing done or sa●●ered by us nor cause of humiliation for any failing for as this notion supposeth it 's God that does all himself and his work being perfect there is no need of grace and the reward must