B00698:204
A fountain sealed: or, The duty of the sealed to the Spirit, and the…
A fountain sealed: or, The duty of the sealed to the Spirit, and the work 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 privileges and degrees of it, with the signs to discern, and means to preserve it. : Being the substance of divers sermons preached at Gray's Inn. / By that Reverend Divine, Richard Sibbes D.D. and sometimes preacher to that honourable society.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.
London: printed by Thomas Harper for Lawrence Chapman, 1638
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Question. May not there be doubtings where there is true faith, may not a true believer be without assurance?
Question. May not there be doubtings where there is true faith, may not a true beleever bee without assurance?
Answer. There be three ranks of Christians: first, some that are yet under the spirit of bondage, that like little children do all for fear. Secondly,§2 those that are under the spirit of adoption, and do many things well, but yet are not altogether free from fear; these are like those children that are moved with reverence to obey their Parents, and yet find their commands somewhat irksome unto them.§3 The third ⟨p. 210⟩are •••h as by the love of God shed into the•• hearts by the Spirit of adoption, are carried with large Spirits to obey their father, and herein like unto those children, that not only obey, but take a delight in it upon a judgement that both obedience and the thing wherein they obey is good; this we ought to labour for, but we find many Christians in the second rank, many truly believe in Christ by some light let into their hearts by the Spirit of adoption, who are not yet fully assured of the love of Christ. There is the act of faith, and the fruit of Faith; the act of faith is to cast our selves upon Gods mercy ⟨p. 211⟩in Christ, the fruit of faith is in believing to be assured of this: we must know that faith is one thing, assurance another, they may have faith, and yet want a double assurance: first, assurance of their faith, being not able to judge at all times of their own act; likewise, secondly, assurance of their state in grace, as in time of desertion and temptation: a soul at such a time casts it self upon Christ, as knowing comfort is there to be had, though he be not sure of it for himself: and this the soul doth out of obedience, though not out of feeling, as the poor man in the Gospel, Lord I believe, help my unbelief: