Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	accept_v	according_a	act_n	49	3	5.8766	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17385	A commentary upon the three first chapters of the first Epistle generall of St. Peter VVherin are most judiciously and profitably handled such points of doctrine as naturally flow from the text. Together with a very usefull application thereof: and many good rules for a godly life. By Nicholas Byfield preacher of Gods Word at Isleworth in Middlesex. To which is now newly added an alphabeticall table, not formerly published.	Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.; Gouge, William, 1578-1653.; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Commentary: or, sermons upon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter. aut; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Sermons upon the ten first verses of the third chapter of the first Epistle of S. Peter. aut; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Sermons upon the first chapter of the first Epistle generall of Peter. aut	1637 (1637)	STC 4212; ESTC S107139	978,571	754

It should teach us by all means to labour about assurance that we might with boldnesse and confidence goe unto God and cry Abba Father 2. That he that is the Father of the Elect will be the Judge of the world Though it be hard for a pittifull man to be strict in punishing yet with God his mercy and justice doe not fight one against another The Use is to warne wicked men to take heed how they apply the promises and prerogatives of the godly to themselves for God will certainely judge them according to their estate 3. Constant prayer is a great meanes of comfort against the feare of judgement in this life and against the hurt of it in the last day Luke 21.34 The Use is to shew us how wee may remedy the feare of death and judgements much prayer and calling on the Name of God will exceedingly availe 4. That to call on God as a Father will not serve turne unlesse our practice answer our prayers unlesse we passe the time of our sojourning in feare it is not any pattering our of words will serve the turne nor praying for customes sake it must be such a prayer as makes us afraid to sin before such a Father 〈◊〉 such a Judge 5. Wh●n he saith if we call it imports that many professe God to be their Father who yet doe not shew it to be so by daily and constant calling upon his name It is a great question whether many that professe God and his truth doe indeed conscionably pray unto him which should awaken us and make us settle close to the practice of daily prayer 6. It is a lawfull prayer that is directed to one of the persons of the Trinity in the outward forme of words I meane that though we should name onely the Father and not mention the Son or holy Ghost yet the prayer were lawfull so as 1. We doe not exclude the other persons in our judgements and affections 2. That we desire upon the present occasion to compell our hearts to a more speciall meditation of the glory of one of the persons as the occasion of the matter requireth But the maine and principall doctrine is that God as he is our Father shall be our Judge If any aske How then is Christ commonly said to be our Judge Act. 17.30 I answer that the last judgement being a work ad extra is common to all the three Persons and is so attributed in Scripture but in different respe●ts for the authority of the last judgement is in the whole Trinity but the execution of it is in the Sonne This doctrine must needs be comfortable to the godly who would feare the tryall when his owne Father is Judge yea and law-giver and hath before promised infinite mercy and is an everlasting Father 〈◊〉 compassion never failes for so is God to us and hath given pledge and seales and earnest of assurance that it shall goe well Thus of the person who shall judge The manner followeth Without respect of persons The●e are 〈◊〉 downe many admirable praises of the justice of these last Assises whereof this is one that here shall be no respect of persons It pleaseth God in so great mysteries as this is not to set downe all at once but to distill some few memorable things and those severally both to excise diligence in the study of the Scriptures and to imply the disability of our na 〈…〉 comprehend much at once of such dreadfull things Not to respect persons in judgement hath divers things in it It is to judge without 〈◊〉 ●t is to judge without care how the judged takes it it is to judge without respect of their strength or disgrace it is to take no reward 〈…〉 accept the persons of great men for their greatnesse or riches sake it is to be led with no colours or vain pretences it is to judge according to truth and not according to opinion or the common voice and t●us much and much more is imported in this justice of the Lord at that day The Use is 1. For humiliation and terror to wicked men This should wonderfully pierce them ●o hear how they must speed at that day their judgement shall not be to amend them but to confound them the same God that hath dealt with other men in justice will judge them also and this may increase the terror that there will be no taking of rewards nor can riches availe in the day of wrath Iob 36.18 19. unlesse it be to increase their judgement Iam. 5.1 3. 2. For instruction it may teach divers things 1. To chase out all evill conceits and secret boilings of the heart against God Iob. 34.19 2. To humble our selves now in the dayes of our flesh and make our peace with God before this day come Deut. 10.17 Iob 34.19 32 33. 3. To imitate this praise in God not to know men after the flesh or to judge of things according to outward appearance or the opinion of the world especially not to give titles to men Iob 32.21 and especially Judges and such as rule others should looke to this 2 Chron. 19.7 Col. 3.25 4. To long to see that day every body delights to be at the Assises and we see how men are pleased and that wonderfully when Princes doe justice upon great persons we gladly hearken after it and continually talke of it how then should we long to see this last and greatest judgement the like to which never was in the world scarce any glimpse of it 3. It may serve for singular consolation to all the godly especially it may incourage the poore and all inferiors to doe their duties since here they shall be assured of acceptation and the oppressed shall here be righted Act. 10.34 Col. 3.11 Eph. 6.9 Rom. 2.11 Iudgeth The manner of propounding the time is to be obserued There is a threefold judgement 1. The first judgement was that executed upon Angels and men fallen in the beginning of the world 2. There is also a middle judgement even that by which God in this life judgeth the righteous and the wicked every day 3. Now there is also the last judgement to be performed in the end of the world and that is here meant yet the Apostle well expresseth it in the present tense to note 1. The speedinesse of it he will come to judgement wonderfull quickly either by particular or generall judgement Phil. 4. Iam. 5. 2. The suddennesse of the judgement he many times comes on a wonderfull sudden Iob 36.33 and at the last he will come as a theefe in the ●ight 1 Thes. 5.2 3. But principally it noteth the certainty of it it is as sure as if it were now a doing certainty I say in freedome both from inconstancy and impediments There are many things may assure us of the certainty of the last judgment 1. The constant doctrine of it before the Law Iud. 15. under the ●aw by David Psal. 50.

of Christ. Oh might some Minister think I shall never rule such a people or perswade with them yet you see God will put his Spirit in their mouth and men shall not be able to withstand the Spirit by which they speak he will give a doore of utterance and secretly bow mens hearts unto the obedience of the truth Secondly the consideration of this second doctrine may instruct us how to order our selves towards the meanes of salvation and so it may teach us 1. not to rest in the act done we m●y heare the best Sermons and receive the Sacraments c. yet if wee beg not the assistance of the Spirit all may be in vaine if we heard Christ himselfe yet it may not profit us 2. To beleeve in God when wee carefully use the meanes how unlikely soever the successe seeme to be God can work by the meanes as pleaseth him notwithstanding infi●mit●e● either of the teacher or hearer 3. To render all the praise to God and his h●ly Spirit in the mediation of his Son seeing thence flowes all blessing and good successe as being the onely originall fountaine of all holinesse and knowledge Thirdly in that the holy Ghost in the primitive times did so visibly fall upon the Apostles and the Disciples it may serve for divers uses 1. To confirme u● in the truth of the Gospell since the prophesies were therein so accomplished and the doctrine of Christ crucified so miraculously sealed 2. It may ●u●ble us that wee cannot see the glory of the Scriptures seeing they proceed from such a fountaine 3. It may make us in love with the Scriptu●es since they were penned by men so miraculously qualified by the holy Spirit of God 4. It may assure us of incredible successe if wee could stir up the holy Ghost in us we might get wonderfull knowledge and grace if we did strive in these times of the Gospell For though that manner of presence be cea●ed yet God is no respecter of persons but the Spirit of God now by lesser means is able to produce the same effects in the hearts of men in what is necessary to salvation For of these times it is that was spoken Ier. 31.33 to spare i●stances in other things 5. Lastly it may confirme us against the scornes and disgraces of the world by which men every where dishonor the knowledge and practice of the holy things brought to us with the Gospell These things that so many deride came to us from the holy Ghost who came downe from heaven to propound and conferre them up●n the Church Sent downe It is to be noted further that he saith that the holy Ghost was sent For from thence 1. I observe an evident proofe that the holy Ghost is a person distin●t from the Father and the Son 2. Hence ariseth the consideration of the nature of this mission Mission is a● att●●bute given here to the holy Ghost Now divine att●●bute are either essentiall or personall Essentiall are such proprieties as equally belong to all the persons in respect of the essence as to be wise just mercifull holy c. Personall attributes are such proprieties as are given onely to the persons apart the one from the other do note a difference of the persons as to beget to be begotten to send forth to be sent forth to proceed to conceive c. Now these personall attributes may be distinguished also thus Some are proper to each person alone so in one as not in any other as to beget in the Father to be begotten in the Sonne to proceed in the holy Ghost some of these attributes are common to two of the persons but not to the third as proceeding in the holy Ghost is both from the Father and the Sonne so to send forth is the attribute both of the Father and Son so likewise to receive is common to the Son and to the holy Ghost so that we see whither mission must be referred Yet to make it more cleere we must understand that there is a double sending forth the one internall the other externall Internall when the Father and the Son cause the holy Ghost to proceed Externall when the Father and Son send forth the holy Ghost for outward operations amongst the Creatures especially in the Church and thus the holy Ghost is sent forth by the Father Ioh. 14.16 and by the Son Ioh. 15.16 of this mission is that speech Gal 4.7 3. Here may be a doubt might some one say Doth not this mission of the holy Ghost expresse an inequality with the Father and the Son It doth not For 1. it is not alwaies true that he that is sent forth is inferiour to him that sent him For Ionathan may send David and David send Ionathan and yet be both equall Commission may import inferiority not mission or if it did hold amongst men yet it is not true in the Trinity 2. This word is used for want of words metaphorically to shadow out something above our reach For it doth not note either a servile subjection or a locall motion but it is used to expresse either some effect of his working or some signe of his presence so that the meaning is the holy Ghost was sent that is he wrought some notable effect on earth or shewed that he was present by some signe Now for some use of this sending of the holy Ghost we may in this doctrine observe 1. That to be sent of God is no disparagement unto us hee sent his owne Spirit 2. We may here note some things wherein wee may resemble and expresse the image of the holinesse of the Trinity in us Would we live together as the three persons in the Trinity doe Then 1. we must live without envie one at another 2. Wee must not think much to be imployed one by another or to be advised and appointed in well doing 3. The salvation of the elect should be dearer to us then any respect of our selves or our owne estate we must not seek our owne things The holy Ghost repines not at his mission and the Father thinks not his Son and Spirit too good to be sent unto us As we grow in these things so we more expresse a likenesse to the Trinity Downe from heaven Something may be noted in that the holy Apostle addeth that hee was sent from heaven 1. It imports what this world is it is but a place of misery and to come into it is to come downe 2. It expresseth what heaven is it is the place of Gods residence the place where God dwels the Palace of the great King as Princes have their Palaces so hath God and as a Princes palace differs from a cottage so doth heaven from earth The Use should be to inflame our affections towards this holy place oh how should wee lo●g to see where God dwels what natures have wee to long to see the courts of Princes and yet cannot long after the courts of our