Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	abide_v	spirit_n	teach_v	1,767	5	6.6141	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12171	The bruised reede, and smoaking flax Some sermons contracted out of the 12. of Matth. 20. At the desire, and for the good of weaker Christians. By R. Sibbes. D.D.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1630 (1630)	STC 22479; ESTC S102404	79,256	424

whatsoever the judgement shall say to the contrary there is no connaturall proportion betwixt an unsanctified hart and a sanctified judgment For the heart unaltered will not give leave to the judgement coldly and so berly to conclude what is best as the sick man whilst his aguish distemper corrupteth his taste he is rather desirous to please that then to hearken what the Physitian shall speake judgment hath not power over it selfe where the wil is unsubdued for the will and affections bribe it to give sentence for them when any profit or pleasure shall come in competition with that which the judgement in generall only shall thinke to be good and therefore it is for the most part in the power of the heart what the understanding shall judge and determine in particular things Where grace hath brought the heart under there unruly passions doe not cast such a mist before the understanding but that in particular it seeth that which is best and base respects springing from selfe-love doe not alter the case and byas the judgment into a contrary way but that which is good in it selfe shall be good unto us although it crosse our particular worldly interests The right conceiving of this hath an influence into practice which hath drawne me to a more full explanation this will teach us the right method of godlinesse to begin with judgement and then to begge of GOD together with illumination holy inclinations of our will and affections that so a perfect government may be set up in our hearts and that our knowledge may bee with al judgment that is w th experience and feeling when the judgement of CHRIST is set up in our judgements and thence by the Spirit of CHRIST brought into our hearts then it is in its proper place and throne and untill then truth doth us no good but helpeth to condemne us The life of a●… Christiā is a regular life he that walketh by the rule of the new creature peace shall be upon him he that despiseth his way loveth to live at large seeking all liberty to the flesh shall dye And it is made good by Saint Paul If we live after the flesh we shall dye VVe learne likewise that men of an ill governed life have no true judgement no wicked man can bee a wise man And that without CHRISTS Spirit the soule is in confusion without beauty and form as all things were in the Chaos before the creatiō The whole soule is out of joynt till it be set in againe by him whose office is to restore all things The baser part of the soule which should bee subject ruleth all and keepeth under that little truth that is in the understanding holding it captive to base affections and Sathan by corruption getteth al the holds of the soule till CHRIST stronger then he commeth and driveth him out and taketh possession of all the powers and parts of soule and body to be weapons of righteousnes to serve him and then new Lords new Lawes CHRIST as a new Conquerour changeth the fundamentall lawes of old Adam and establisheth a government of his owne The second Conclusion is that this government is victorious The reasons are 1 Because CHRIST hath conquered all in his owne person first and hee is GOD over all blessed for evermore and therefore over Sinne Death Hell Sathan the world c. And as he hath overcome them in himselfe so he overcomes them in our hearts and consciences Wee use to say Conscience maketh a man a King or a caitife because it is planted in us to judge for GOD either with us or against us Now if naturall conscience bee so forcible what will it be when besides it owne light it hath the light of divine truth put into it It will undoubtedly prevaile either to make us hold up our heads with boldnesse or abase us beneath our selves If it subject it selfe by grace to CHRISTS truth then it boldly overlookes Death Hell Iudgement and all spirituall enemies because then Christ sets up his Kingdome in the conscience and makes it a kind of Paradise The sharpest conflict which the soule hath is betweene the conscience and GODS Iustice now if the conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ hath prevailed over assaults fetcht from the justice of GOD as now satisfied by CHRIST it will prevaile over al other opposition whatsoever 2 We are to encounter with accursed and damned enemies therefore if they begin to fall before the spirit in us they shall fall if they rise up againe it is to have the greater fall 3 The spirit of truth to whose tuition CHRIST hath cōmitted his Church and the truth of the spirit which is the Scepter of CHRIST abide for ever therefore the soule begotten by the immortal feed of this spirit and this truth must not onely live for ever but likewise prevaile over all that oppose it for both the word and spirit are mighty in operation and if the ill spirit be never idle in those whom GOD delivereth up to him we cannot thinke that the Holy Spirit will bee idle in those whose leading and government is committed to him No as he dwelleth in them so he will drive out all that rise up against him untill hee be all in all What is spirituall is eternall truth is a beame of CHRISTS Spirit both in it selfe and as it is ingrafted into the soule there fore it and the grace though little wrought by it will prevaile a little thing in the hand of a Gyant will do great matters A little faith strengthned by CHRIST will worke wonders 4 To him that hath shall be given the victory over any corruption or temptation is a pledge of finall victory As Ioshua said when he set his foot upon the five Kings which hee conquered Thus God shall doe with all our enemies heaven is ours already onely we strive till we have full possession 5 CHRIST as King brings in a commanding light into the soule and bowes the necke and softens the Iron sinew of the inner man and where he begins to rule he rules for ever his Kingdome hath no end 6 The end of CHRISTS comming was to destroy the workes of the Devill both for us and in us And the end of the resurrection was as to seale unto us the assurance of his victorie So I to quicken our soules from death in sinne 2 to free our soules from such snares and sorrowes of spirituall death as accompany the guilt of sin 3 to raise them up more comfortable as the Sunne breakes forth more gloriously out of a thick cloud 4 to raise us out of particular slippes and failings stronger 5 to raise us out of all troublesome and darke conditions of this life And 6 at length to raise our bodies out of the dust For the same power that the Spirit shewed in raising CHRIST our Head from the sorrowes of

for want of incouragement See how that faithfull fisher of men S. Paul labours to catch his Iudge I know thou beleevest the Prophets and then wisheth all saving good but not bonds hee might have added them too but he would not discourage one that made but an offer hee would therefore wish Agrippa only that which was good in Religion How carefull was our blessed Saviour of little ones that they might not bee offended How doth he defend his Disciples from malitious imputations of the Pharises How carefull not to put new wine into old vessels not to alienate new beginners with the austerities of Religion as some indiscreetly O saith hee they shal have time to fast when I am gone and strength to fast when the Holy Ghost is come upon them It is not the best way to fall foule presently with young beginners for some lesser vanities but shew them a more excellent way and breed them up in positive grounds and other things wil be quickly out of credit with them It is not amisse to conceale their wants to excuse some failings to commend their performances to cherish their towardnesse to remove all rubs out of their way to helpe them every way to beare the yoake of Religion with greater ease to bring them in love with God and his service lest they distaste it before they know it For the most part we see CHRIST planteth in young beginners a love which we call the first love to cary them through their profession with more delight and doth not expose them to crosses before they have gathered strength as wee breed up young plants and fence them from the weather untill they bee well rooted Mercy to others should move us to deny our selves in our lawfull liberties oftentimes in case of offence of weake ones it is the little ones that are offended The weakest are aptest to think themselves despised therfore wee should bee most carefull to give them content It were a good strife amongst Christians one to labour to give no offence and the other to labour to take none The best men are severe to themselves tender over others Yet people should not tyre and weare out the patience of others Nor should the weaker so farre exact moderation from others as to beare out themselves upon their indulgence and so to rest in their owne infirmities with danger to their own soules and scandall to the Church The Church suffereth much from weake ones therefore wee may challenge liberty to deale with them as mildly so oftentimes directly The scope of true love is to make the party better which by concealment oftentimes is hindred with some a spirit of meeknesse prevaileth most but with some a rod. Some must be pulled out of the fire with violence and they will blesse God for us in the day of their visitation Wee see our Saviour multiplyes woe upon woe when hee was to deale with hard-hearted Hypocrites For Hypocrites doe neede stronger conviction than grosse sinners because their will is naught and thereupon usually their conversion is violent An hard knot must have an answerable wedge else in a cruell pity wee betray their soules A sharpe reproofe sometimes is a precious pearle and a sweet balme The wounds of secure sinners will not bee healed with sweet words The Holy Ghost came as well in fiery tongues as in the likenesse of a Dove and the same holy Spirit will vouchsafe a spirit of prudence and discretion which is the salt to season all our words and actions And such wisedome will teach us to speake a word in season both to the weary and likewise to the secure soule And indeed he had need have the tongue of the learned that shall either raise up or cast downe But in this place I speake of mildness towards those that are weake and are sensible of it These wee must bring on gently and drive softly as Iacob did his Cattell according to the pace and as his children were able to endure Weake Christians are like glasses which are hurt with the least violent usage otherwise if gently handled will continue a long time This honour of gentle use we are to give to the weaker vessells by which we shall both preserve them and likewise make them usefull to the Church and our selves In uncleane bodies if all ill humours be purged out you shall purge life and all away Therefore though GOD saith Zach. 13. 9. that he will fine them as silver is fined Yet Esay 48. 10. he saith He hath fined them but not as silver that is so exactly as that no drosse remaineth for hee hath respect to our weaknesse Perfect refining is for another world for the world of the soules of perfect men Divines had need to take heed therefore how they deale with these in divers particulars as first let them be carefull they straine not things too hie making those generall and necessary evidences of grace which agree not to the experience of many a good Christian and lay salvation and damnation upon those things that are not fit to beare so great a waight whereupon men are groundlesly cast down lower by them than they can hastily be raised up againe by themselves or others The Ambassadors of so gentle a Saviour should not bee over masterly setting up themselves in the hearts of people where CHRIST alone should sit as in his owne Temple How carefull was Saint Paul in cases of conscience not to lay a snare upon any weak conscience They should take heed likewise that they hide not their meaning in darke speeches speaking in the clouds Truth feareth nothing so much as concealement and desireth nothing so much as cleerely to bee laid open to the view of all When it is most naked it is most lovely and powerfull Our blessed Saviour as he tooke our nature upon him so he took upon him our familiar manner of speech which was part of his voluntary abasement Saint Paul was a profound man yet became as a nurse to the weaker sort That spirit of mercy that was in CHRIST should move his servants to bee content to abase themselves for the good of the meanest What made the Kingdome of heaven suffer violence after Iohn the Baptists time but that comfortable truths were with that plainnesse and evidence layd open that the people were so affected with them as they offered a holy violence to them CHRIST chose those to preach mercy which had felt most meroy as S. Peter and S. Paul that they might bee examples of what they taught Saint Paul became all things to all men stooping unto them for their good CHRIST came downe from heaven and emptied himselfe of majesty in tender love to soules shall not we come downe from our high conceits to doe any poore soule good shall man be proud after GOD hath beene humble Wee see the ministers of Satan turn themselves into all shapes to make proselytes A Iesuite will be every