Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	believe_v	scripture_n	1,612	5	5.8214	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35001	Several sermons, or, Declarations of Mr. Stephen Crisp, late of Colchester in Essex, deceased exactly taken in characters, or shorthand, as they were delivered by him at the publick meeting-houses of the people called Quakers, in Grace-Church-Street and Devonshire-House, London / and now faithfully transcribed and published ; together with his prayer at the end of every sermon.	Crisp, Stephen, 1628-1692.	1693 (1693)	Wing C6941; ESTC R32375	87,023	199

Judgment if they are but willing upon all their own Ways A Man or Woman may know in every word they speak in every Action they do whether they speak and do according to the Truth or whether they are justified by the Truth in what they speak and do I tell you my Friends this is no small mercy that Mankind hath obtained at the Hands of his Maker that he is brought into a Capacity of not acting blind-fold but that he may see his way and his own Inclinations and pass Judgment upon them whether they are good or evil whether they will stand justified in the sight of his Maker or whether they will be Condemned I Confess the vail of Ignorance that is come over the Sons and Daughters of Men through Sin Transgression and Rebellion is very great And I may say as the Apostle said sometime you were darkness and what can Darkness see What can darkness discover The Lord our God that made us hath not left us in that State of Darkness Blindness and Ignorance but through the Riches of his Mercy and goodness hath found out a way to command that Light should shine out of Darkness into Peoples Hearts for all that the Devil did to darken Man to alienate and estrange him from his Maker The same Almighty Power that said in the Creation Let there be Light and it was so he hath shined into our Hearts and the way by which he hath done so is through the Mediator through Jesus Christ the Redeemer in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwells He hath received Power from his Father not only to be Light and Salvation but to impart and Communicate of that Divine Light unto them even unto every one that cometh into the World that so by means thereof they may be delivered from their Darkness and Ignorance of the mind of God that they were lyable to in the Fall and might be restored through the Mediator to a Capacity of Judging of their own state as the Lord Judgeth and of their own Actions and of their own words and ways and Inclinations This is the Standard which God hath pitched in every one of your Bosoms for the Tryal of your selves either for Justification or Condemnation of every Word and Action Now to make every one sensible of the greatness of this blessing Consider it is not only given to augment and to encrease Knowledge but it is given on purpose to allure and perswade Men into a likeing of Truth into a Love of Truth The Apostle esteemed it a wonderful mercy that came by Christ he hath sent him to bless us in turning every one of us from the Evil of his ways so that here is a Capacity that the Sons and Daughters of Men have through the Mediator of being turned from the Evil of their ways and doings to that which is well pleasing to God The next work after God hath wrought thu● mercifully for the Sons and Daughters of Men is that they would be good to themselves and merciful to themselves and take pity of themselves by a due Improvement of the Grace and Mercy and kindness of God that he hath bestowed freely upon them and in bringing all their D●eds to that Standard all their words and Actions to that Rule that so whatsoever they be or how many so ever if they do not answer that Standard and Rule they may deny withstand and resist them that so they may keep out of Condemnation For the Apostle declares it plainly without scruple There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus If he had said to them that profess Christ Jesus there had been a large Latitude especially for these Nations but the Words are limitted and you will find them so that is to them that are in Christ Jesus and as if he should say that you may know rightly whom I mean I mean such as walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit They that are in Christ walk after his Spirit for they that have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his but they that are his walk after the Spirit the Spirit of Truth and there is no Condemnation to them It is not only the Scriptures that Ratify and confirm this Doctrine but you your selves are all living witnesses of the Truth of this that so far as you do act and speak in Obedience to the Principle of Truth that God hath Planted in you you feel no Condemnation upon you Such a thing I did at such a time and I had no Condemnation Why so Because I did it in Obedience and Subjection to that measure of Grace that God set up in me and such a thing I did for which I was Condemned why so B●cause I did it according to the Inclination of my own Corrupt mind and in Contradiction to the truth that opened in me My Friends I would have you in point of the Doctrine of Christianity to be the better for what you Read and hear it is possible for me to Preach the Truth and you may believe what I say and you may Read the Holy Scriptures and have the belief of what you Read but if you come to a sensible feeling of the fulfilling of the things you hear you will give a greater Seal to the Truth of the Doctrine than by all you have Read and heard and you will grow wise to Salvation by trying and experiencing the effect of every thing you understand And not like the Carnal Men of this World that have not Faith that mind only their Worldly Profits and Pleasures such are Earthly Sensual Devilish but I would judge of Actions and Words according to truth and according to the eff●ct I find in me I did such a thing and I had peace in the doing of it I feel no Reproach no Condemnation upon me here is a way for People to grow up in the Life of Christianity to keep to the Standard of Truth for whether Men will or no they must do it at last and may now if they please make a Tryal of their Words and Actions As for the most part of you you are got past Pilate Pilate could make that enquiry What is Truth saith he And I confess it is not long ago it is within the Memory of Man that a more serious and better sort of People were confounded with the Darkness and Ignorance of those times that they were ready to cry out What is Truth And where is Truth Their Eyes were so blinded and things were so jumbled and confused by the Disputations that Men Raised they made things so dark that People could not see their way but God who hath commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness hath brought a Glorious Day that hath dissipated and scattered and driven away a great deal of that Fogg and Mist that did overspread Mens minds As many as have sincerely sought the Truth in the inward parts they have found a Divine Principle of Truth that hath a self

wisher to the Souls of all Men As God hath done good to my Soul So I cannot but wish well to the Souls of others That as he hath found out a way for my Redemption and Salvation so likewise I wish the same for others that are bond-men and bond-women and under the Power of their Corruption Gods work hath been to destroy the Bondage and the Oppression and to destroy the Tyrant that Reigns over the Souls of his People God having made them for his Glory and the Devil hath Stolen them away that they do not that which pleaseth God But God's good pleasure is that all may be Saved and come to the Knowledge of the Truth And God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not Perish but have Everlasting Life And he is called The Lamb of God which takes away the Sins of the World He can take away Sin if my Sin do not obstruct my Faith and Confidence in him he will take it away and if he takes that away then he makes the Tree good Nothing hinders us from the injoyment of God but Sin and if Christ will take it away by the blood of his Cross no matter for all the Scorn Contempt Hardship Reproach and Persecution of this World no matter for he hath not deceived us but told us before hand If we will be followers of him and be led by him we must expect these things suffering Reproaches Persecutions Disdain Envy these things come not uncertainly upon us the World loves its own and cannot love them that are not of it but they that are now of the World may be brought to the terms of God and they may not be any longer of the World Christ Prayeth not that his Disciples may be taken out of the World but kept from the evil he prayed for them that did not believe So that Christ is a Mediator for all men and a Propitiation for all men and he is working by his Spirit for the Redemption of all men That to as many as believe in him to them he gives Power to become the Sons of God The sum of all is this that we have an opportunity put into our hands we cannot deny it you must all upon search confess that the Grace of God doth often work in your hearts against any Corruption against any Evil Let not this prize be put into our hands in vain as into the hands of fools If I knew that this and that was a sin I would leave it let us be of that mind and we shall soon know it Then say If I knew such a thing to be a sin If I could get a thousand pounds by it I would not do it why should'st thou love sin for profit or pleasure I am sure it is an ill bargain when it is done Whatsoever I am convinced of is a sin I will not it Resolve upon this and there the Grace of God will be at work we shall soon see that we must leave off sinning there is such a thing I must leave God hath set up a Judgment in my mind against it though it bring profit and pleasure away it must go here is a step a following step to follow Christ he that will deny himself will follow Christ My Redeemer shews me this to be an evil I will not do it but follow him and imitate him Here the Soul is led step by step even by Christ the Captain of our Salvation till it is gradually cleansed from sin and reconciled unto God and this can be done by no other means for Prayer and Alms will not do it All that can be done by us will not dot it none can do it but Christ alone that God hath laid help upon that you may all wait for the Divine Operation of his Grace in your hearts that is it which we Labour and Travel for as knowing that God hath wrought wonderfully by it for the Redemption of all those that love him more than they love their pleasures more than they love their sins it must be concluded that following of him and leaving Father and Mother Husband and Wife Children Brethren and Sisters all these things as they stand in competition with him and the Obedience of his Spirit all these must be looked upon as nothing to him Then above all things I must not displease him He can speak Peace and none can take it away and if he take it away none can give it If we follow Christ when this is done then all is done according to the Will of God then the blessing of God descends upon the whole Creation then every man will speak truth to his Neighbour and every man will govern his Family with discretion So God is Glorified and his name comes to be Exalted who is worthy to be Loved Adored and Exalted above all Blessings and Praises to him be Glory who is God over all Blessed for Ever and Ever Amen His Prayer after Sermon MOST Glorious God of Life and Power and of Everlasting Kindness a God of Long-suffering and Patience else we had not been here at this day Lord we are Monuments of thy Mercy thou hast spared us long and hast called unto us in a day when we turned away our Ear from thee thou hast stretched out thy hand all the day long and thou hast gathered a little Remnant of the lost Sheep of the house of Israel to partake of thy Pastures of Life and now all our Souls have been greatly refreshed and comforted since we come to understand and comprehend with the rest of thy Saints the Height and Length and Breadth and Depth of thy Love which in the Son of thy Love thou hast Revealed to us And blessed Father of Life our Souls do breath and cry unto thee on the behalf of Strangers which are Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel that are yet breathing and inquiring after thee And asking the way to Sion O Lord remember them and hear their cry and let their sighing and complaining enter into thine Ears that all they in whom thou hast begun to kindle up holy desires after thee may have them grow into a flame to burn up all their Enmity to thee that so they may be purified by thy judgments and receive of thy Heavenly Grace This is the way which thou hast used with thy Children thou hast commanded them to Worship thee in thy dwelling place thou hast taken them into thy house and fed them with thy finest Wheat refreshed them with thy Loving-kindness and filled them with thy Holy Spirit Dearest God of Love this is the design and purpose of our Meeting together that we may enjoy thy Presence and feel the operation of thy Word and have Communion with thee and thy Son Jesus Christ through thy Holy Spirit the way into Rest and Life is with thee thou canst open and none can shut Lord open the hearts of this People to receive of thy

on in every ones Bosom when the Question is stated I would have you really Answer it Shall I guide my Actions and Words according to this unerring Rule or no I cannot tell what to say say some there is danger in it What danger can there be to answer that which a Man knows to be Truth I will tell you what danger The World is Perverse the most men Live out of Truth and the Devil is a Cunning Adversary and he would have none Live in it He abode not in the Truth and he would not have us live in it nor regulate our Words and Actions by the Truth in our own Souls What if most Men in the World pervert the Truth What if so few walk in the Narrow Way and so few come to Life Eternal therefore is that an Argument I must not come there should it not stir me up to greater diligence that by any means I may be of the number of that few that shall obtain Salvation and not go with a agreat company in the Way that leads to Destruction If we improve our Times and Seasons and Opportunities and Mercies and Blessings that are vouchsafed to us we at last may obtain Life Eternal But some may say I must sit down in Despair for I cannot come thither of my self though I do what I can to Work out my own Salvation There is a Decree against me what though I should Pray never so much and spend my Nights in Grief and Sorrow If I be Decreed to Eternal Damnation there is no help for me no hope that I should escape it And if I be Decreed to Salvation though I take my Liberty to Sin and be Loose and Wanton as others it cannot hinder me from attaining Salvation at last For this Reason many have laid aside the Spiritual Warfare against Corruption and their Spiritual Travel that they will do do nothing in order to their Everlasting Happiness therefore they think they had as good take their Pleasure But my Friends the case is not now so with us Let every Soul among us praise the Lord for his mercy in expelling that thick Cloud of Darkness which is vanished and gone This I know and I hope you do all believe that God doth every where and in every Nation call Sinners to Repentance and that He delighteth not in the Death of him that Dyeth but rather that they would turn and Live and in order thereunto he hath given his Son Jesus Christ to be a Saviour and a Mediator and he hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our Hearts to give direction to us in our Way Now our Duty is to make improvement of those Visitations of Mercy that God hath bestowed upon us in order to our Salvation and not Live in Rioting and Drunkenness Chambering and Wantonness Strife and Envying and following the Fashons of the World But we must Work out our own Salvation with Fear and Trembling But some will say Is not this done already Is it not already wrought by our Saviour and Mediator Christ hath tasted Death for every Man and laid down a Price for the Soul of every Man But there must be a change wrought in us There is a Translation of our Souls from one state to another This is called in the Scriptute Regeneration and being born again this is called a being baptized into Christ and described also by other expressions But the matter is to Change thy Life for there is a sinful Source of Wickedness that is stirred up by the Motions of the Powers of Darkness and our own concupiscence but God is always ready to bring us under the Government of his Holy Spirit that will lead us into into all Truth and this cannot be done without a Cross but the Question lies here Shall I take up this Cross or no if I do it will Crucifie me to the World Let me see How much do I Love the World A great deal But do I Love the World better than my own Soul What will it profit me to gain the whole World and lose my own Soul Or what shall I give in Exchange for my Soul I cannot get to Heaven without denying my self let me take care of my Immortal Soul I am a poor Creature I will serve the Lord my Maker and make it my business to Glorifie and Please him He can snatch me away by Death when he pleaseth therefore I will labour that my Thoughts Words and Actions and Conversation may answer to that rule that he hath set before me as a Standard of Truth to square and regulate my actions by I will not live any longer in vanity as many do I do not know but my Breath may be stopt to Day before to Morrow therefore To Day while it is called to Day I will hear Gods Voice and not harden my Heart but receive that Counsel that is offered to me for the benefit of my Soul I am bought with a Price I am none of my own I will live to him that died for me I have more Reason to live to Christ and serve him that shed his precious Blood for the Redemption of my Soul and to be subject to him then to be subject to Christs Enemy to the Prince of the Power of the Air that Rules in the Children of Disobedience I will take up a Resolution to serve God but I can do nothing of my self but The Grace of God which brings Salvation will teach me to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Righteously Soberly and Godly in this present World Take heed of being deceived and beguiled for there is no way will bring you to Heaven but an Holy and Undefiled way Therefore come and take this Standard of Truth in your hands to guide you in your way that you may neither turn to the Right hand nor to the Left this will shew you the way you should walk in and be like the Cloud and Pillar of Fire to the Israelites in their journey to Canaan which was a Type of Heaven the Cloud they could see by Day and the Pillar of Fire by Night so this Standard of Truth will direct you in your Travel to the Heavenly Canaan Let this be the Rule and Measure of your Thoughts Words and Actions If a workman that is a Builder hath a Rule to work by if he goes on and never examines his Work by his Rule but makes his Eye his Rule if he doth not bring his Rule to his work every little while to see whether his work be right if he worketh on and never mind his Rule What sad work willl he make But a Prudent Skilful workman will say I will not trust mine Eye too much but I will look to my Rule my Rule will not fail me if there be bad work it will discover it to me that I may mend it before I go any further Thus a discreet Workman will bring his Rule to his Work and use his Line and Plummet

of God obtain a Reputation to be true and just and holy and righteous all Men will expect Holiness and Righteousness at their hands What if I profess to be one of those People If I have not the Truth in my own Heart This reputation though I put it on as a Cloak to hide my Insincerity the want of that Truth takes away my Courage It is Truth in all Men in the World that hath a Power and it is the Power of Holiness and Righteousness that makes wicked Men affraid and therefore the Apostle argues upon that subject the Magistrate is clothed with Power what Power hath he The Power of Justice and the Power of the Sword What Sword hath he A Sword of Justice and he is a Terrour to evil-doers but a praise to them that do well It is true if I have done evil if I meet with a Man that is but my Equal if in buying and selling and Commerce I have wronged him and deceived him though he knows not of it Yet I am affraid of him I am fearful that he will discover me and find me out But if I speak the Truth and do that which is honest in the sight of all Men I shall not fear any Man there is no Nation under Heaven but there is a principle of Truth to be found amongst them in the Hearts of Men If I Act according to the principle of Truth in mine own Heart there is the same principle of Truth in all Men. If I walk up to the principle of Truth in my self I shall likewise walk up to the principle of Truth in all Mens Hearts if mine own Heart doth not condemn me all the World cannot condemn me If professors were resolved to answer the principles of Truth in their own Hearts and go through stitch in the profession they might live Couragiously Truth will Crown them with Victory But if they do not live according to the rule and standard of Truth they are like Salt that have lost its savour which is trodden under feet of Men. But where all are one in Truth they are gathered into the Truth and they will live according to it so far as they are convinced of it If you will give them a World they will not give away an Hairs breadth of the Truth which they have professed when Truth thus comes to have Dominion then Truth shall overspread the Earth and the kingdoms of the World shall become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ and righteousness shall rule and the Scepter of it be swaied over the Nations and they that Rebel against it shall be broken by it and they that are found in it shall have Dominion and they shall condemn Hypocrites and Dissemblers Now if you would grow up into this Dominion you have an opportunity for it because the Truth is Revealed in your own Hearts They who go about to walk in the Truth meerly from what they hear the Ministers of Truth Preach laying up in their minds a company of Doctrines Notions and Tenets they will stumble and fall but they that will hearken to the Truth in their own Hearts and regard the Voice of it in all their ways and undertakings these have a Minister at Home with them they have a Chaplain in their own House if there be any thing they know not and if they know not what to do they ask this Minister of the Sanctuary others they will ask their Ministers but your Minister is at Home with you Where hath God appointed any Man to rule over your Consciences no God hath appointed Christ only to guide and govern your Consciences to be the Author of Faith and the Finisher of it too You that are come to to the Dispensation of the Spirit of Christ keep to the testimony in your own Hearts then we have fellowship with one another in the Truth and we have cause to bless God for it that God hath so opened the Heart of one towards another that the suffering of one is the suffering of all and the Consolation of one the comfort and rejoycing of all But Alas Who is in this fellowship Only those that are in fellowship with the Truth in their own Heart are really so If a Man shall break fellowship with Truth in his own Heart he will make no bones of breaking fellowship with his Brethren As soon as Men break fellowship with Truth they are unruly Heady troublesom and make no matter of splitting and tearing and rending of fellowship with others How comes it to pass that thou hast done this thou didst not thus whilst thou feared Sinning against the witness of God in thine own Heart But when Men have once made Light of the great Minister of the Gospel in their own Hearts it is an easie matter to make light of all the rest if as Christ saith They have done so to the Green Tree no wonder that they do so to the Dry Tree If they despise me saith Christ do you think they will love you It is most evident in a great many at thi● Day they Dispute against Truth they have taken a Liberty to speak contrary to the Truth in their own Hearts then they cry down the Ministers of it Do you think any body doth so that keep their first tendernes● When they were first convinced the Power of the Lord rested upon them when the Power of God first wrought upon you and brought you to Yea and Nay and to plain simple Language and Habit this was with j●y and delight for Christs sake They that keep up this tenderness and simplicity of Mind there is no scattering nor rending or tearing among them they keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace and they are kept together in one Friends you have an opportunity in your hands see that you make use of it you may bear up and not be deceived by Men or Devils If you keep faithful to the Principle of Truth in your own Hearts Let what Reproach and Persecution soever come here is a Standard a Foundation and a Rule for you to be Governed by Every hour of the Day search your Hearts and try your Consciences by it As you do this and keep to the Rule of the new Creature of the Regeneration being changed from a Carnal Birth to an Incorruptible Birth If you he born of the Incoruptible seed the Devil cannot corrupt you Evil passions cannot corrupt you if you keep upon that Foundation that is Incorruptible in it self then nothing will corrupt you nor your ways and manners If you will then live according to the simplicity of the Gospel you will serve God and be examples to others in the Life of Holiness and Righteousness and hereby God shall be glorified This is that which will shine forth to the whole Nation and give a good Report to Truth But if any that Profess the truth be found false to their Profession and be found unholy and deceive and over-reach