Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	abundant_a	lord_n	merciful_a	1,635	5	8.8351	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27004	The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural evidence the being of God ... : the second part, of Christianity, proving by evidence supernatural and natural, the certain truth of the Christian belief ... / by Richard Baxter ... ; also an appendix defending the soul's immortality against the Somatists or Epicureans and other pseudo-philosophers.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1667 (1667)	Wing B1367; ESTC R5892	599,557	672

were sufficient in their kind before though more full and excellent since his coming If you would not be deluded into Infidelity by this objection which indeed is one of the greatest difficulties of Faith you must not further one error by another 1. Think not that God is hired or perswaded by Christ as against his will to forgive mens sins and save their souls or to do them any good Understand that no good cometh to man or any Creature but totally from Gods will and Love who is the Original and Eternal Goodness All the question is but of the modus conferendi the way of his Conveyance And then it will not seem incredible that he should give out his mercy by degrees and with some diversity 2. Think not that Christianity doth teach men that all those who were not of the Jewish Nation or Church then or that are not now of the Christian Church were so cast off and forsaken by God as the Devils are to be left as utterly hopeless or remediless nor that they were upon no other terms for salvation than man in innocency was under which was Obey perfectly and live or if thou sin thou shalt die For this had been to leave them as hopeless as the Devils when once they had sinned 3. And think not that Christ can shew no mercy nor do any thing towards the salvation of a sinner before he is known himself to the sinner especially before he is known as an incarnate Mediator or one that is to be incarnate He struck down Paul and spake to him from Heaven before Paul knew him He sent Philip to the Eunuch before he knew him and Peter to Cornelius and sendeth the Gospel to Heathen Nations before they know him If the Apostles themselves even after that they had lived long with Christ and heard his preaching and seen his Miracles yea and preached and wrought Miracles themselves did not yet understand that he must suffer and die and rise again and send down the Spirit c. you may conjecture by this what the common Faith of those before Christs coming was who were saved 4. Think not therefore that Christ hath no way or degree of effectual Teaching but by the express doctrine of his Incarnation Death and Resurrection which is now THE GOSPEL 5. And think not that all the mercies which Pagan Nations have from God are no acts of Grace nor have any tendency to their conversion and salvation Doubtless it is the same Redeemer even the eternal Wisdom and Word of God who before his Incarnation gave greater mercy to the Jews and lesser to the Gentiles He doth by these mercies oblige or lead men to Repentance and Gratitude and reveal God as mercifull and ready to forgive all capable sinners As even under the Law Exod 34. he revealed himself fullyer to Moses The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin c. though he will by no means no not by Christ clear the guilty that is either say to the wicked thou art just or pardon any uncapable subject Doubtless mercy bindeth Heathens to know God as mercifull and to love him and to improve that mercy to their attainment of more and to seek after further knowledge and to be better than they are and they are set under a certain course of Means and appointed Duty in order to their recovery and salvation Else it might be said that they have nothing to do for their own recovery and consequently sin not by omitting it By all this you may perceive that Christ did much by Mercies and Teaching before his Incarnation and since for all the World which hath a tendency to their conversion recovery and salvation Obj. XI The conception of a Virgin without man is improbable and must all depend upon the credit of her own word And the meanness of his Parentage breeding and condition doth more increase the difficulty Answ 1. It was meet that the birth of Christ should begin in a Miracle when his life was to be spent and finished in Miracles 2. It is no more than was promised before by the Prophet Isa 7.14 A Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son c. And why should the fulfilling of a Prophesie by miracle be incredible 3. It is neither above nor against the Power Wisdom or Love of God and therefore it should not seem incredible There is no contradiction or impossibility in it nor any thing contrary to Sense or Reason Reason saith indeed that it is above the power of man and above the common course of Nature but not that it is above the Power of the God of Nature Is it any harder for God to cause a Virgin to conceive by the Holy Ghost than to make the first of Humane kinde or any other kinde of nothing 4. It was meet that he who was to be a Sacrifice for sin and a Teacher and pattern of perfect righteousness and a Mediator between God and Man should not be an ordinary Childe of Adam nor be himself defiled with Original or actual sin and therefore that he should be in a peculiar sense the Son of God 5. And this doth not depend only on the Credit of the Virgin-mothers word but on the multitude of Miracles whereby God himself confirmed the truth of it And as for the Meanness of his Person and Condition 1. It was a needfull part of the humiliation which he was for our sins to undergo that he should take upon him the form of a Servant and make himself of no reputation Phil. 2.7 8 9. 2. It was a suitable testimony against the pride carnality and worldly-mindedness of deluded men who over-value the honour and pleasure and riches of the World And a suitable means to teach men to judge of things aright and value every thing truely as it is The contrary whereof is the cause of all the sin and misery of the World He that was to cure men of the Love of the World and all its riches dignities and pleasure he that was to save them from this by the Office of a Saviour could not have taken a more effectual way than to teach them by his own example and to go before them in the setled contempt of all these vanities and preferring the true and durable felicity 3. Look inwardly to his God-head and spiritual perfections Look upward to his present state of Glory who hath now all power given into his hands and is made Head over all things to the Church Eph. 1.22 Look forward to the day of his glorious appearing when he shall come with all his Celestial Retinue to judge the World And then you will see the Dignity and excellency of Christ If you preferre not spiritual and heavenly dignities your selves you are uncapable of them and cannot be saved But if you do you may see the excellencies of Christ He that knoweth how

are all baptized into one body whether we be Jewes or Gentiles bond or free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit And in 1 Cor. 14. the gift of speaking with tongues was so common in the Church of the Corinthians that the Apostle is fain to give them instructions for the moderate use of it lest they hindered the edification of the Church by suppressing prophecy or instruction in known tongues And therefore he perswadeth them to use it but more sparingly And James 5.14 15. exhorteth Christians when they were sick to send to the Elders of the Church that they may pray for them and anoynt them and they may be forgiven and recover By which it seems it was no unusual thing in those times to be healed by the Prayers of the Elders Yea the very Hypocrites and ungodly persons that had only the barren profession of Christianity had the gift of Miracles without the grace of Sanctification And this Christ foretold Matth. 7.22 Many shall say in that day Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name cast out devils and done many wonderfull works Obj. But all were not healed by them Paul left Trophimus at Miletum sick Why doth not Paul cure Timothy of his weak stomack and infirmity without drinking of Wine if he could do it Answ 1. Certainly they did not cure all men that were sick For then who would have dyed It was none of the intent of the Spirit of Christ in working Miracles to make men immortal here on earth and to keep them from Heaven 2. And it is easily confess'd that the Spirit was not at the command or will of them that had it And therefore they could not do what and when they pleased but what the Spirit pleased And his operations were at his own time and disposal And this proveth the more fully that it was the testimony of God and not the contrivance of the wit of man 3. And miracles and tongues were not for them that believed but rather for them that believed not And therefore a Trophimus or a Timothy might be unhealed § 35. 3. These Miracles were oftentimes wrought even for many years together in several Countreys and places through the World where the Apostles and Disciples came and not only once or for a little space of time Dissimulation might be easilyer cloaked for a few acts than it can be for so many years At least these gifts and miracles continued during the Age of the Apostles though not performed every day or so commonly as might make them uneffectual yet so frequently as to give success to the Gospel and to keep up a reverence of Christianity in the World They were wrought not only at Jerusalem but at Samaria Antioch Ephesus Corinth Philippi and the rest of the Churches through the World § 36. 4. They were also wrought in the presence of multitudes and not only in a corner where there was more possibility of deceit The Holy Ghost fell on the Apostles and all the Disciples at Jerusalem before all the people that is They all heard them speak in several tongues the wonderfull works of God even the Parthians and Medes and Elamites and the Inhabitants of Mesopotamia Judaea Cappadocia Pontus Asia Phrygia Pamphylia Egypt Lybia Cyrene Rome Jews and Proselites Cretes and Arabians Act. 2.8 9 10 11 12. It was three thousand that the Holy Ghost fell on Act. 2.38 Those that went into the Temple and all the people saw the lame man that was cured by Peter and John Act. 3. The death of Ananias and Sapphira was a publick thing so that fear fell on all and hypocrites were deterred from joyning with the Church Act. 5. The gifts of tongues and interpretation were commonly exercised before Congregations or multitudes And crowds of people flocked to them to be healed As with Christ they uncovered the roofs of the houses to lay the sick before him so with the Apostles they strove who might come within their shadow or touch the hem of their garment or have Cloaths or Napkins from them that they might be healed So that here was an age of publick Miracles § 37. 5. All these miracles were uncontrolled that is They were not wrought in opposition to any controlling Truth which hath certain evidence contradicting this nor yet were they overtopt by any greater miracles for the contrary A miracle if God should permit it to be wrought in such a case might be said to be controlled either of these two wayes 1. If a man should work Miracles to contradict the certain light of Nature or perswade men to that which is certainly false 2. If men should do wonders as Jannes and Jam●res the Egyptian Sorcerers which should be overtopt by greater wonders as those of Moses and as Simon Magus and Elymas by Peter and Paul In these cases God could not be said to deceive men by his power or permission when he giveth them a sufficient preservative But these Miracles had no such controll but prevailed without any check from contradictory Truths or Miracles Thus Christ performed his Promise Joh. 14.12 Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do because I goe unto the Father § 38. III. The third testimony of the Spirit to the truth of the Apostles witness was the marvellous success of their doctrine to the sanctifying of souls which as it could not be done without the power and Spirit of God so neither would the righteous and mercifull Governour of the World have made a company of profligate lyars and deceivers his instruments of doing this excellent work by cheats and falshoods This I spake of before as it is the Seal of Christs own doctrine I now speak of it only as it is the Seal of the Apostles verity in their testimony of the Resurrection and Miracles of Christ Peter converted three thousand at once Many thousands and myriads up and down the world were speedily converted And what was this Conversion They were brought unfeignedly to love God above all and their neighbours as themselves Act. 2.42 46. They continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer And all that believed were together and had all things common not by levelling but by lone and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need and did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praising God and having favour with all the People Act. 4.32 The multitude of Believers were of one heart and of one soul neither said any of them that ought of the things that he possessed was his own but they had all things common All that are in Christ have his Spirit and are spiritually minded and walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts

no way incredible that God should value man according to his natural worth and usefulness as an intellectual agent capable of Knowing and Loving and Praising him and Enjoying him His creating us such and his abundant mercies to us do abundantly prove the truth of this Nor is it incredible that he should be willing that his depraved creature should be restored to the use and ends of its nature nor is it incredible that God should choose the best and fittest means to effect all this Nothing more credible than all this 4. And it is not incredible at all that the Incarnation of the Eternal Word should be the fittest means for this reparation If we consider 1. What question we should have made of the word of an Angel or any meer creature that should have said he came from God to teach us seeing we could not be so certain that he was infallible and indefectible 2. And how short a creature would have fallen in the Priestly part of Mediation 3. And how insufficient he would have been for the Kingly Dignity and universal Government and Protection of the Church and Judgement of the world 4. And withall that God Himself being the Glorifier of Himself and the Donor of all felicity to us it is very congruous that he should most eminently Himself perform the most eminent of these works of mercy 5. And it much assisteth my belief of the Incarnation to consider that certainly the work that was to be done for man's recovery was the winning of his heart to the Love of God from himself and other creatures and there was no way imaginable so fit to inflame us with love to God as for him most wonderfully to manifest his love to us which is more done in the work of man's Redemption than any other way imaginable so that being the most suitable means to restore us to the love of God it is fittest to be the way of our recovery and so the more credible 6. And it much suppresseth temptation to unbelief in me to consider that the three grand works in which God's Essentialities declare themselves must needs be all such as beseemeth God that is most wonderful transcending man's comprehension And as his Omnipotency shewed it self with Wisdom and Love in the great work of Creation so was it meet that his Wisdom should shew it self most wonderfully in the great work of Redemption in order to the as wonderful declaration of his Love and Goodness in the great work of our Salvation our Regeneration and Glorification And therefore if this were not a wonderful work it were not fit to be parallel with the Creation in demonstrating God's Perfections to our minds Object III. But how incredible is it that humane nature should in a glorified Christ be set above the Angelical nature Answ There is no arguing in the dark from things unknown against what is fully brought to light What God hath done for man the Scripture hath revealed and also that Christ himself is far above the Angels But what Christ hath done for Angels or for any other world of creatures God thought not meet to make us acquainted with There have been Christians who have thought by plausible reasonings from many Texts of Scripture that Christ hath three Natures the Divine and a Super-angelical and a Humane and that the Eternal Word did first unite it self to the Super-angelical nature and in that created the world and in that appeared to Abraham and the other Fathers and then assumed the Humane nature last of all for Redemption And thus they would reconcile the Arrians and the Orthodox But the most Christians hold only two Natures in Christ but then they say that he that hath promised that we shall be equal with the Angels doth know that the nature of Man's Soul and of Angels differ so little that in advancing one he doth as it were advance both and certainly maketh no disorder in nature by exalting the inferiour in sensu composito above the Superiour and more excellent Let us not then deceive our selves by arguing from things unknown Object IV. There are things so incredible in the Scripture-Miracles that it is hard to believe them to be true Answ 1. No doubt but Miracles must be Wonders they were not else so sufficient to be a divine attestation if they were not things exceeding our power and reach But why should they be thought incredible Is it because they transcend the Power of God or his Wisdom or his Goodness Or because they are harder to him than the things which our eyes are daily witnesses of Is not the motion of the Sun and Orbs and especially of the Primum Mobile which the Peripateticks teach yea or that of the Earth and Globes which others teach as great a work as any miracle mentioned in the holy Scriptures Shall any man that ever considered the number magnitude glory and motions of the Fixed Stars object any difficulty to God Is it not as easie to raise one man from the dead as to give life to all the living 2. And are not Miracles according to our own necessities and desires Do not men call for signs and wonders and say If I saw one rise from the dead or saw a Miracle I would believe Or at least I cannot believe that Christ is the Son of God unless he work Miracles And shall that be a hinderance to your belief which is your last remedy against unbelief Will you not believe without miracles and yet will you not believe them because they are Miracles This is but meer perversness as much as to say we will neither believe with Miracles nor without 3. Impartially consider of the proof I have before given you of the certain truth of the matter of Fact that such miracles were really done and then you may see not only that they are to be believed but the doctrine to be the rather believed for their sakes Obj. V. It is hard to believe the Immortality of the Soul and the Life to come when we consider how much the soul dependeth in its operations on the body and how it seemeth but gradually to exceed the bruits Especially to believe the Eternity of it or its joyes when omne quod oritur interit And if Eternity à parte ante be proper to God why not Eternity à parte post Answ 1. The Immortality of the Soul and consequently its perpetual duration and a life of Retribution after this did not seem things incredible to most of the Heathens and Infidels in the World And I have proved it before by evidence of Nature to common Reason So that to make that incredible in Christianity which Philosophers and almost all the World hold and which hath cogent natural evidence is to put out the eye of Reason as well as of Faith 2. And that it hath much use of or dependance on the body in its present operations is no proof at all that when it is out of the body