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	church_n	word_n	2,678	5	4.0797	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01235	The priuiledges of the vpright in heart Expressed in brief meditations upon the 84 Psalme: and more particularly vpon the 11 verse thereof. Studied for the vse of the right worshipfull Company of Drapers London By W.F.	Freake, William.	1639 (1639)	STC 11347.5; ESTC S120859	14,597	40

himself would have us to walk and out of which way wee may expect no blessing And because even in this warrantable way the afflictions of the righteous are many Psal 34.19 God contenteth not himself to be our Sun only to direct but he is our shield to protect us also liberabit eos omnibus afflictionibus the Lord wil deliver them out of all as it followeth in that part of the Psalme 12. Again because as S. Paul fpeaks Act. 14 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Wee must through many tribulations enter into the Kingdome of God therfore is our God our shield as to defend us from affronts under his protection so to enable us to bear those wee meet with not suffering us to be tempted above our strength 1 Cor. 10.13 nor yet our faith to faile Luke 22.32 〈◊〉 the very houre of temptation be wil keep us from the evill of it Revel 3.10 and in the deepest distresse therby will make his Grace sufficient for us that his strength may be made perfect in our weaknesse 2 Cor. 12.9 In a word the Lord our God is a Sunne to his Church according to the promise of our blessed Redeemer shining in our hearts by that spirit of truth who guideth into all truth Iohn 16.13 And the Lord is the shield of his Church being with the same alwayes even unto the end of the World Matth. 28 last verse That the gates of hell may never prevaile against it as our blessed Lord hath promised Matth. 16.18 13. And doubtlesse wee have very great reason to depend upon this truth by building our faith upon the illumination of this Sun and protection of this shield seeing as it followeth in the next words of this verse it is this Sun alone that giveth grace this shield that giveth glory Deus enim Sol clypeus dabit gratiam gloriam The Lord will give grace saith the text Most truely whether it be the first touch and beginning of Grace in the heart of a Christian or it be the progresse and increase of it or it be the perfecting thereof in the soule it is freely Gods gift Dominus dat Saint Iames affirmeth it positively Iames 1.17 Every good gift and every perfect giving is from above and commeth down from the Father of lights where it is not altogether unworthy your noting that he stileth God patrem luminum in relation to the Metaphor in our Text where hee is called our Sunne That we may know that whersoever our God is not by the influence of his light there is all darknesse without any exception according to the sence of the holy Ghost in our Text. If wee looke upon man in his naturall estate hee is not onely lame but dead in sins and trespasses Ephes 2 1 By the influence therfore of Gods Spirit there must be created in us a new lise that was not and not onely the former life excited which was according to that of the Psalmist Psal 51.10 Create in mee a new heart ô Lord not onely stirre up that clean one which hath been somwhat defiled saith a reverend Bishop of our own Church in his Roma irreconciliabilis cap. de libero arbitrio Nay I goe further and by the warrant of Scripture too The old heart which is naturally dead in sinne must be taken away and a new heart by Grace put in the room therof Ezek. 11.19 20. I will put a new spirit within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and will give you an heart of flesh that yee may walke in mine Ordinances and keep my statutes to do them So absolute is that truth which we deduce from the words of our Text that the first touch and beginning of Grace in the heart of a Christian is the free gift of God and that without the influence of this Sun there can be no light of Grace in the heart Yea but when the Grace of God is kindled in the heart of a Christian who shall blow it up to a flame Is man able of himselfe to doe it Oh no Without me yee can do nothing saith our blessed Lord Ioh. 15.5 Without the grace of God both preventing and assisting wee are no more able to prosper and grow in grace then the branch which abideth not in the Vine is able to bring forth fruit Iohn 15.4 And as for growing towards perfection S. Paul delivereth it positively that God the Father hath by his Sonne our Redeemer appointed the work of the Ministery for the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the body of Christ till wee all come in the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Ephes 4 12 13. So that it is God alone who by his blessing upon his holy Ordinances the preaching of the Word and administration of his Sacraments conscionably waited upon bringeth this worke to effect To speake yet more particularly Every man by nature is both ignorant and an unbeliever who shall now give him spirituall understanding who shall perswade him to believe The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them saith Saint Paul meaning while hee resteth in his natural estate because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 It must be therfore a beame from this Sun mentioned in our Text that must lighten mans eyes that he sleep not in death Psal 13.3 For it is God alone that giveth grace to understand the things that belong to our eternall peace As rouching believing the Gospell unto salvation which is only by a true and lively faith this is not in the heart of man by nature it is the gift of God onely who purifieth the heart by faith as hee did the hearts of the Gentiles at their first conversion to Christianity Acts 15.9 As touching Repentance who can deny it to be the immediate gift of God that shall reade what Saint Peter so positively delivereth Acts 15.31 How God by his owne right hand hath exalted his Son lesus to be a Prince a Saviour to give repentance unto Israel for remission of sins Take the word then as you will it falleth out most true that God giveth Grace the beginnings the increasings the perfection of grace the grace to know God aright to believe unto salvation to repent and to turn from sin it is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe saith Saint Paul Phillip 2.13 Inabling you to worke out your own salvation with feare and trembling Phillip 2.12 Dominus dat gratiam as it is in my Text. 14. And as he giveth grace so glory also Hence is it that the Lord hath promised by the Prophet Isaiah That he will be a crown of glory and a Diademe of beauty unto his people Jsa 28.5 as also that the Sun shall be no more their light by day nor