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
A88580	The combate between the flesh and spirit. As also the wofull with-drawing of the Spirit of God, with the causes thereof: and walking in, and after the Spirit, together with the blessednesse thereof. Being the summe and substance of XXVII. sermons: preached a little before his death, by that faithfull servant of Christ, Mr. Christopher Love, late minister of the Gospel at Lawrence Jury London. To which is added the Christians directory tending to direct him in the various conditions that God may cast him into. In XV. sermons.	Love, Christopher, 1618-1651.	1654 (1654)	Wing L3149; Wing L3145; Thomason E742_2; ESTC R202772	325,954	459

into your mindes leave not these motions till you have brought them into actions holy motions should be backed with holy resolutions which also should be followed with holy actions It is the fault of many Christians they let good motions die in their breasts and so they come to an untimely issue Daniel 1.8 That of Daniel is for our imitation He purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the Kings meat nor with the wine which he drank therefore he requested of the Prince of the Eunuchs that he might not defile himself He did not rest in the bare motion and purpose but he made it his request he joyned endeavour to his resolution but as for us how may we as I before told you take up the complaint of Job Our purposes are broken off even the thoughts of our hearts Job 17.11 Holy motions they should be followed with holy resolutions and accomplished with holy performances 2. When the Lord vouchsafes you the motions of his Spirit you must not conceive that you have the Essence or the Person of the Spirit this is the errour of the Familists and no lesse then blasphemy for want of a distinction between the motions of the Spirit and the Person of the Spirit their opinion is this that there is in a Beleever not only the graces of the Spirit but the Person of the Spirit but this is nothing else but to make humanity the Deity For the clearing hereof let me exemplifie it by a comparison The Sunne that is in the firmament we use to say that it is in such a house or such a window but when we say so we do not mean that the body of the Sunne is there but only that the light heat or influence of the Sunne is there So though the Scripture tells us that the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 3 16. Spiritus Dei habitatin nobis quia regit gabernat sa●ctificat Paraeus or Spirit dwells in us the meaning is not as if the Person of the holy Ghost were in us but only the motions and graces of the Spirit are there And therefore in both those expressions You are the Temple of the holy Ghost and The holy Ghost dwelleth in you there is saith Paraeus a Metaphor 3. Take heed that you mistake not the Spirits motions for Satanical illusions I gave you the characters before how you might know the Spirits motions from the devils delusions I shall only hint this to you which is an infallible rule That all motions that are not consonant to a written Word they are from the devil not from God Prov. 1.23 Isa 59.21 I gave you two Texts of Scripture wherein the Spirit and the Word were joyned together therefore see that all your motions be according to a written Word Direct 4 4. Take heed of beleeving every one that sayes he is inspired by the Spirit There are many high-flown Teachers in these dayes who indeed are Masters of errour yet would be thought the Disciples of truth that say they are inspired when none else are beside them But as the Apostle John saith Believe not every Spirit 1 Ioh. 4.1 2 Thes 2.2 that is every corrupt teacher but try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world They are called Spirits because they pretend with such confidence to have the Spirit Now that you may know such men I shall discusse this Question Quest How you may know men who pretend to have the Spirit when indeed they have not Answ 1 Such men who only pretend to have the Spirit they are always proud of the gifts of the Spirit their conceited opinion of having the Spirit raises their mindes to a high degree of pride This is a certaine rule that they who are truely inspired of the Spirit 1 Cor. 7.40 they are alwayes humble thus it was with Paul I give my judgement sayes he and I think I have the Spirit of God Paul he knew he had the Spirit yet would he speak in humility not boastingly and insultingly as many did And so at another time sayes he 2 Cor. 12.2,3,4 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth such a man caught up into the third heaven and heard words which it is not lawful for man to utter Now who was this man it was none but himself it was his modesty that made him speak in a third Person therefore those who boast of the Spirit and are vain glorious it is an argument that indeed they have not the Spirit of Christ which is a Spirit of meeknesse and of humility Answ 2 Those that so cry up the Spirit as to cry down ordinances and the Ministery they have not the Spirit of God In the time of the New Testament when vision and inspiration were in use yet then the Spirit would not teach men immediately but did referre them to an outward Ministery Acts 8. A famous instance you have hereof as I noted before in the Ethiopian Eunuch who being reading in his Chariot the Prophecie of Esaias the Spirit would not interpret to him the meaning hereof Acts 9.6 but bids Philip go and expound it So Paul when Christ revealed himself to him he would not teach him himself but bids him go to Damascus and there it should be told him what he should do The like example we have in Cornelius Acts 10.5,6 the Spirit would not teach him immeditely but bids him send for Peter and he should tell him what he ought to do By these examples we see how the Lord hath honoured the Ministery of the Word And therefore those who cry up the Spirit so as to cry down the Ministery as expecting to have the immediate teaching of the Spirit doubtlesse they have not the Spirit of God Answ 3 Those who pretend to the Spirit and yet boast of the effects of the Spirit rather in future Revelations then in present motions to holy duties are deceived by a Satanical delusion There are many in these dayes that will take upon them to tell you future contingent events but this can be nothing else but a delusion of the devil because the gifts of the Spirit in foretelling future events is now ceased and doth not remaine in the Church It is true I deny not but that the devil by a special manifestation from God may tell a future event but I am sure your Astrologers cannot by the help of the starres Thus the devil appeared to Saul in the shape of Samuel 1 Sam. 28. ●9 and sayes he To morrow shalt thou and thy sonnes be with me the Lord also shall deliver the Host of Israel into the hands of the Philistines Now how came the devil to the knowledge of this but by a special Revelation from God the Lord permitting it for the

flesh is against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and then I call it an irreconcileable contrariety because though enemies may be reconciled yet contraries never In the handling of which point I shall onely demonstrate the truth of it and then conclude with a practical application Demonst 1 And first this contrariety appears by the contrary names given both to the flesh and Spirit in Scripture as here in the Text corruption it is called flesh and grace is called the Spirit corruption is called darknesse but grace is called light Rom. 13.12 Rom. 13 12. It is called a law of death Rom. 8.2 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Tim. 4.12 but grace is called the law of the Spirit of life Rom. 8.2 Corruption is called filthinesse of the flesh 2 Cor. 7.1 but grace is called purity of spirit 1 Tim. 4.12 So that by the these contrary names given both to the flesh and the Spirit the contrariety of both is set out 2. They are both contrary principled and origined for First corruption it is called the work of the devill and For this purpose was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil John 3.8 1 John 3.8 but grace is called the work of God Phil. 1.6 Phil. 1.6 Again corruption it is called the lust of the devil John 8.44 John 8.44 but grace is called the fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 Gal. 5.22 so that these proceed from a contrary original That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit John 3.6 3. They have contrary acts and contrary uses the flesh is said to lust against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh they are contrary in their works and hence in Scripture sin it is called a work contrary to God Levit. 26. sin makes a man walk contrary to God but the Spirit drawes a man to walk in the wayes of God sinne is the Dalilah that will never let a man alone but presse him with importunity to yield to the temptations thereof 4. They are contrary in their ends and issues the end of the flesh is to damne the soul but the Spirit its motions and workings are to save the soule We are commanded to abstain from fleshly lusts which warre against the soule and the Apostle tells us That if we live after the flesh we shall die but if we through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body we shall live Rom. 8.13 The tendency of sin is unto death but of grace unto eternal life And therefore saith the same Apostle The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 Upon these demonstrations it appears the flesh and the Spirit are contrary the one to the other Vse 1 Of instruction If so be these are contrary the one to the other first let us consider the contrariety of the flesh against the Spirit and thence learn these three inclinations 1. Learn to admire the free grace and mercy of God that notwithstanding this contrariety of the flesh against the Spirit in thee yet that this should not stirre up anger and fury in God but rather pity and mercy herein is Gods great love shewed to his people God doth to us as we would do to a man that hath taken poyson we pity such a man but poison in a tode that we hate when God sees sinne in his people tormenting them as poison in the body though they have such sinful natures and so contrary to grace yet this stirres not up fury but favour and pity in God It is a note worth your observation by comparing two Scriptures together Gen. 6.5,6 Compared with Gen. 8.21 Gen. 6.5,6 with Gen. 8.21 In the sixth of Genesis it is said there that the Lord saw that the imaginations of mans heart were evill and only evill and that continually and therefore saith God I will destroy man from the earth there their corrupt nature and the issues and acts of it provoked God to fury but compare that place with Chapt. 8.21 and there you read that God will not any more curse the ground for mans sake because the imagination of his heart is evill from his youth this is a strange reason one would think it should be on the contrary but God doth not bring a curse but annexeth a promise as if he should say though I might destroy man as I did in the flood yet I will not do it though the imagination of his heart be evill and that continually no though his heart be so bad this should teach us to admire the grace of God that notwithstanding the contrariety of our natures unto holinesse yet that this should not stirre up fury but rather pity and mercy in God to us 2. Learn to admire the grace and mercy of God that notwithstanding the contrariety that is in our natures against the Spirit that yet there is an irresistiblenesse in the Spirits working converting grace that the Spirit should conquer a man and break down the strong holds of nature 2 Cor. 10.4 that the Spirit of God should out of these contraries bring other contraries for so the Lord doth commanding light to shine out of darknesse Oh admire the omnipotency of Gods grace 2 Cor. 4.6 that notwithstanding the contrariety of thy nature yet it hath not been able to resist converting grace 3. Admire the grace of God that notwithstanding the contrariety of thy nature yet that there should be in the regenerate either activity or perpetuity of grace that thou doest act grace seeing thou hast a principle of sin in thee Gratia in nobis est flamma in extingui bilis in med ●o mari and that thou hast a perpetuity in the state of grace that this contrariety should never be able either totally or finally to conquer grace admire that this spark of fire should not be drowned by this flood of corruption that this contrariety in thy heart against grace should not destroy grace if thou art once in the state of grace thou art ever so and therefore let this heighten your admiration Adam had perfect grace and yet not perpetuity in it but thou hast imperfect grace and yet thou art established therein that thou shalt not fall Vse 2 Of humiliation and indeed these doctrines about corruption of nature they tend chiefly to debase this proud heart of man that is degenerated and fallen from so glorious an estate Be humble oh man though thou hast a principle of grace yet thou hast something in thee that carries a contrariety to grace thou hast a contrary principle to a gracious principle The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other now here I shall speak not onely to unregenerate men but to the regenerate also and there are these seven