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	word_n	1,745	5	4.0513	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41838	Directions and instigations to the duty of prayer how, and why the heart is to be kept with diligence. Pressing arguments and directions for hearing the voice of the rod. Being the sum and substance of nine sermons (not heretofore printed,) by Mr. Andrew Gray, late minister of the Gospel at Glasgow.	Gray, Andrew, 1633-1656.	1669 (1669)	Wing G1607A; ESTC R224166	127,013	196

to the words The first thing which I would have you taking notice of is this there are three thing● which a Christian may meet with which ar● unspeakable First sometimes a Christian may meet with an unspeakable sorrow so that he cannot make language of it because of the anxiety of his heart but is forced to cry out tha● word my stroak is heavier then my groaning Secondly A Christian may meet with an unspeakable mercy he may meet with such a mercy and token of love from the hand of the Lord that i● he were put to it he could not make languag 〈…〉 of it he could say no more to the commendation of his mercy but this What shall I sa● more he hath spoken it and himself hath done it Thirdly A Christian may meet with an unspeakable joy he may be brought to that cas● and condition that he cannot make language o● his joy according to that word 1 Pet. 1. 8 Believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and ful● of glory Secondly I would have you taking notice of this that it is exceeding much of the concernment of a Christian to believe and close with this truth that there is not a grain weight of ●ffliction in his cup which infinit wisdom doth not think fit should be there and which infinit love did not put there To know and rest upon this that infinit wisdom and infinit love was ●t the mixing of the cup and his tender heart will carve no more out to us then we are able ●o hear this is an help to patience Thirdly I would have you taking notice of this I think there are some Christians that is forced to blesse God more for their crosses than for their mercies that they have been forced 〈◊〉 their darkest nights to cry out It is good for me that I have been afflicted There is this fourthly which I would have you taking notice of that the crosse of a Christian it hath two faces an outward face and 〈◊〉 inward face and the outward face of the ●●osse seems oftentimes the most unpleasant ●ut O if a Christian could win to see the inside of his crosse He might sit down by the River of Babel and there pen songs of praise to God even praise for this that he hath been afflicted O it is comfortable to the Christian that Christ hath gone to heaven by the way of the cross that his blessed feet hath troden that way and that his precious lips hath drunk of that cup. But to come to the words we told you that there was five things in the words to be considered First that here was an excellent ex●ortation given to the people of Israel and Samariah which in short is this Hear the voice ●f the rod and who hath appointed it and from this exhortation ye may take notice of these five things First That every cross and sad dispensation which a Christian meets with it hath a voice and language in it therefore sayes he hear the voice of the rod as if he had said take notice what the Rod sayes and what it cals for from you The second thing to take notice of from this command and exhortation is this that it is the duty of a Christian to observe give obedience unto what the Rod speaks a● cals for therefore is the command given forth hear the voice of the rod. The third thing that we take notice of from this command is that there is a great unwillingness in persons to hear what the Rod speaks and therefore the command is put home hear the voice of the rod. Fourthly take notice of this that the voice of the Rod and the voice of him that hath appointed it are one and the same very thing therefore these two are knit together hear the voice of the rod and of him who hath appointed it There is this lastly which we would have you taking notice of from this command and exhortation It is a great point of spiritual widsom for a Christian to take up and hear the voice of the Rod therefore it is said the man of wisdom shall see thy Name It is not every man that can take up what the Rod speaks it is only the man that is indued with much heavenly wisdom from God Now as for the first thing that we spake from the words viz. That every rod which a Christian meets with it hath a voice in it Before I speak to this I would have you to take along these considerations First It is a singular and most remarkable step 〈…〉 he good will of God when he doth manifest the ●eaning of a rod to a person or a people Job ●3 16. He openeth the ears of men and sealeth ●heir instruction which is brought in as a singu●ar favour from God that is he makes them ●o know what the rod speaks Elihu puts such 〈◊〉 note of mercy upon this that he thinks it 〈◊〉 〈…〉 p to delivery from the rod He delivers the ●oor from affliction how is this that he opens their ●ars and seals their instruction it is when God makes a person to take up the meaning of the Rod for when he makes them to understand ●he voice of the Rod it is half a delivery from ●he Rod do you not know this that when the 〈…〉 se of a disease is known it is half healed So when the end that God hath in sending rods is known and taken up we may say it i● half ●emoved Secondly The Christians of old hath taken much pains to know the voice of the Rods that they meet with as i● clear from 2 Sam. 21. 1● where the land of Israel being three years under famine David went and enquired the cause of that Rod and it is likewise clear from Job 7. 20. where Job is exceeding desirous to know why God set him up at a mark for his arrows and that he was become a burden to himself Thirdly We would have you to take notice of this that it is exceeding anxious for a tender Christian to be under a silent Rod to be under such a dispensation that he knows not the language of it this is clear in Job 3. 23. where Job makes this the capestone of his sorrow that his way was hid that is he knew not what was the reason of Gods contending with him after such a way as likewise it is clear in Job 10 2● where Job is put to propose that question to God Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me The fourth Consideration that we would have you taking along with you is this It 〈◊〉 exceeding hard for a Christian to profite by a Rod till once he take up the meaning of it and I shall give you these three grounds why it is so hard for a Christian to profite by a Rod till he know the voice and meaning of it First Because it is hard for a Christian to win to submission to the Rod till he know the voice of it it is the

to a hunder but the third day whe 〈…〉 that Christian prayes but it be meer formality O what makes Christians pray so weakly It is because they teach their hearts th● arte of praying formally by slighting of duty Fifthly I would say this to you the slighting of known duties is the first step of the s 〈…〉 against the Holy Ghost This is clear in Heb. 10. 26. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin I le tell you what is betwixt the sin of slighting known duties and the sin against the Holy Ghost there is no more betwixt them both but that word wilfulness And what knowest thou but thy slighting of duties may come to wilfulness ere long Ye would know this that under the Law there was Sacrifices for sins of Ignorance and likewise for sins of infirmities but there was no sacrifice for presumptuous sins now if this be the first step towards the sin against the holy Ghost I am sure there are some here which have gone this length yea and I fear a little further Now will ye take home this conviction and I would say this let the person which is not guilty of this offence amongst us take up the first stone and cast at us I suppose our conscience might accuse us and we might steal out one by one O! the dreadfull disadvantages which attends that person that slights known duties This is a strange thing our consciences are no more moved at what one can speak of that which is our sin indeed than though it did not concern us I suppose there is not one here bu● they may write this on their fore-heads Guilty guilty Now there is this lastly which I would say unto you The day is coming when the slighters of known duties shall be forced to cry out Ah that I had been an idiot had never known my duty I confesse the slighting of known duties and the sinning against Light shall be a mighty aggravation of our sin O what terror was it to Judas conscience when he came to think of this I sold my Master and I know I have sinned in so doing And O what terrour likewise will it be to you when ye shall be convinced of this my conscience told me that this was my duty and I would not do it Now the next thing which we shall speak to from the words in general is that God in the depth of his condescendancy hath many various wayes in making known duties unto a person or people this is clear from the words where God having pressed duties upon this people by the voice of his Ministers now he sends a more sad and terrible preacher to them even a threatning Rod. Now this is clear that God hath many wayes in pressing people to their duties Isa. 5. 4. What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it c. This is also eminently clear Songs 5. 2. Open to me my sister my Spouse and if that will not do it he will knock at the door and say it is the voice of thy beloved that knocketh and if this will not do it he will use arguments to perswade her open to me my sister is not that an argument yet he will give her another for my head is filled with dew and my hair with the drops of the night and if all these will not do it Christ will put in his hand by the hole of the door which speaks this that Christ in the depths of his condescendency leaves nothing unassayed to presse people to their duty This is also clear Deut. 11. 26 27 28. where he sets life and death blessings and cursings before them to presse them to their duty I confesse there are many in heaven to day that Christ never took the half of the pains on them as he hath taken on some of us and there are many in hell to day upon whom Christ took never half so much pains as he hath done on some of us and is it not then a wonder that we are not sent away to hell likewise Now I will tell you six great voices or means wherewith God presseth people to their duty The first voice is the voice of threatnings all the threatnings which is in the Scripture this is the voice of them all O give obedience to your duty This is remarkably clear from that choise and remarkable place Jer. 36. ver 3 6 7. Therefore go thou and read this roll which thou hast written from my mouth c. Baruch he is commanded to read all the threatnings of God to his people and what is the precious end he hath before him It may be they will present their supplication before the Lord and will return every one from his evil way c. This is the very end and scope of Gods threatnings that persons may present their prayers before him and he will shake the Rod over our heads for this end Therefore I say give the threatnings of God who are his Messengers that which they require and it is to put the Rod by the door The second great voice whereby God sometimes presses home duties upon folk is by the voice and Rod of these sad afflicting dispensations which we meet with This is indeed the end of them that persons would give obedience to the commands of God this is clear in the very scope where he presses them to hear the voice of the Rod that they might give obedience to their duty And it is also clear from that sweet and excellent promise Ezek. 20. 37. And I will cause you to passe under the Rod and I will bring you into the bond of the Covenant I say the very great end and design of God in sending Rods is that persons may be engaged to their duty The third voice wherewith God presses people to their duty is by the voice of promises what is the great voice of the Covenant of promises It is give obedience to commanded duties This is clear Ezek. 11. 19 20. And I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within you And I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and I will give them an heart of flesh that they may walk in my statutes and keep mine ordinances and do them c. As it were all the great promises of the Covenant have this promise obey and ye shall have it is obedience that leads us to the possession of the promises The fourth voice whereby God presseth persons to the doing of known duties is by the voice of all the mercies which we meet with I say the voice of them all is this O give obedience to his commandements Yea this is the very language of mercies All the great things which God hath done to you what is the scope and end of them all It is O will ye come and obey Fifthly Doth not the great