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	heart_n	word_n	1,814	5	3.8480	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53959	A practical discourse upon charity in its several branches and of the reasonableness and useful nature of this great Christian virtue / by Edward Pelling ...	Pelling, Edward, d. 1718.	1693 (1693)	Wing P1086; ESTC R21750	75,615	304

Construction In a word it is a Generosity of Temper that is apt to suit it self to the condition of others according to the moving Nature of their present Circumstances The Rule of Righteousness is To render every Man his own But this may be without Charity and therefore this alone is beneath the Generous and Noble Disposition of a Christian it doth not come up to the perfect Law of Christ Charity though it hath a mixture of Justice in it yet it is a great deal more and that it may be compleat as it should be these two Qualifications are very necessary First That it be of the same Nature with that Affection which we have for our selves Secondly That it resemble that great Love which the Lord Jesus express'd for us all First Our Charity to others must be of the same Nature with the Affection we have for our selves This is the true Rule of Charity especially as it is heightned and improved by the Christian Religion Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self that is with the same good natur'd and kind Affection though it may be not in the same Measure and Degree There is indeed a sort of Self-love that is sinful an Affection that begins and ends at home too when a Man is for pleasing himself only when he seeks his own only when he makes himself the sole end of all his Actions and would fain engross to himself all that is good and desirable in this World begrudging his Neighbour any considerable Share or Proportion of it Now this is so far from being a Rule of Charity that there is nothing of Charity in it nothing more opposite to the true Spirit of Charity than such a selfish Temper But there is too an innocent kind of Self-love which necessarily riseth out of a Natural Principle of Self-preservation when a Man notwithstanding the greatness and largeness of his Mind doth consult the Good of others so as not to neglect his own but takes a due Care of himself in the first place This Natural Affection every one hath for himself and it is attended inseparably with these two Properties First Every one loves himself Vnfeignedly and Sincerely To be sure there is no Flattery no Pretence no Compliment in this case Our Affections may be believ'd and trusted when they speak favourably on our own side for no Man ever yet hated his own flesh We cannot but wish our selves well and those Wishes always come from our very Hearts And according to this Rule the Christian Law obligeth us to measure out our Charity to others It must be Love without dissimulation Rom. 12. 9. Love unfeigned 2 Cor. 6. 6. Love not in word or in tongue only but in deed and in truth Jam. 3. 18. Under colour of Affection to contrive or help one anothers Misfortunes is like the Charity of him who betrayed the Lord Jesus with a Kiss People are not wont to be Traytors to themselves after such a manner Though in the Consequence and Event they many times prove their own Enemies and the worst Enemies they have yet no Man betrays himself with Judas his Purpose the Intention on which we all act is still levelled at that which we believe or suppose to be good for us And this is properly to love our Neighbour as ones self to be as really solicitous for his Welfare in all respects as for ones own to have the same reality and sincerity of Purpose to be influenced and animated with the same quality and truth of Affection though the Case may admit of a difference as to proportion Secondly Another Property that attends all innocent Love of our self is that it is firm and constant Because it flows from an innate Principle of Self-preservation it must of necessity hold and continue as long as Nature it self lasteth nor can any Circumstances Events or Disappointments alter any Man's Temper so as to render him fickle and unsteady to himself much less dissolve the strict Band which ties his own Heart to him faster than that which was between the Souls of Jonathan and David Why thus too must Brotherly Love continue Hebr. 13. 1. because the Reasons of Charity are ever the same viz. The Obedience we owe to the Law of God and the common Wants among Mankind which always call for our mutual Pity and Assistance there is a constant necessity for our Minds to be always benevolently and tenderly disposed And though Resentments may and oftentimes do unavoidably happen by reason of the Ignorances of some the Passions of others and the Hereditary Infirmities of us all yet no Provocations or Injuries must affect Men so as to harden their Spirits or fill their Bowels with Gall and Wormwood Since the fix'd Rule is that we must Love our Neighbours as our selves we are no more permitted to be weary of our Charity to other Men than we permit our selves to be weary of doing good to our own Souls But there is a higher and nobler Rule of Charity yet and that is to Love one another as the Lord Jesus himself hath loved us Because the Love even of ones self may be defective imperfect and mixed with some Alloy therefore the great Lover of all our Souls hath made his own Charity to be the Standard and Measure of ours Upon which account he calls it A new Commandment A New Commandment give I unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye love one another John 13. 34. In respect of the Matter of it the Law of Mutual Charity is an old one for it hath been written in the Hearts of Men from the beginning and it was expresly given to the Jews Lev. 19. 18. It is a New Commandment in respect of that High and Eminent Degree to which our Blessed Saviour hath raised it Men's Charity now must bear a Resemblance of his Love one another as I have loved you This is the thing which makes it a New Commandment indeed The Scripture speaks of three Things especially which were peculiarly remarkable in the Love of Christ 1. That he extended his Love to open and declared Enemies The Old Commandment which required the Jews to Love their Neighbour as themselves permitted them to Hate an Enemy nay in some cases bound them to express all manner of Hostility against such as were Aliens to the Faith and to the Commonwealth of Israel But saith the Apostle God commended his Love towards us in that while we were yet Sinners Christ died for us and when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son Rom. 5. 8 10. And again when we were alienated and Enemies in our Minds by wicked Works Col. 1. 21. That is this was a stupendous a most amazing Expression of Christ's Love that he undertook the great Work of Redeeming a profligate World wretched Creatures that had bid God defiance that were Haters of all that is Good and Holy and thereby had brought themselves into a

the Apostle saith Charity rejoyceth not in Iniquity or in Men's Sufferings by Iniquity there is much more intended than what is Literally express'd Charitable Men must shew their Grief for those Sufferings by Relieving and Aiding the Sufferers Prosperity hath Friends enough if we may call them Friends who Congratulate and Caress us while we are able to Reward them or to do them Service But if Job be cast upon the Dunghil or Christ be brought near the Cross the one is forsaken of his Acquaintance and the other of his very Disciples 'T is Adversity that shews the real the fast Friend and then is our Time to express our Charity when another wants it whether Friend or Enemy by endeavouring to Relieve him that Suffers by Iniquity For if we use not our Endeavours for his Deliverance it is to be supposed that we are well enough pleased with his Condition well enough satisfied though he continue in it And is this Charity That Active Generous Restless Virtue that knows no Bounds but Impossibilities That Christian Grace which is ready to offer up Life it self That God-like Spirit which is made up of Goodness Mercy and Love No no Charity Befriendeth all doeth Good to all extendeth Relief and Compassion to all to him that Suffers and even to those that do the Wrong to those that seek Counsel against the Just and gnash upon him with their Teeth Psal 37. 12. Their Case is to be Pitied indeed because their Day is coming the Day when God will render to every Man according to his VVorks To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality God will give Eternal Life But to those who are Contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey Vnrighteousness he will render Indignation and VVrath Tribulation and Anguish upon every Soul of Man that doeth Evil Rom. 2. 6 7 8 9. XII 12. But I must hasten to the next Character St. Paul gives of Charity which is That it Rejoyceth in the Truth The best Divines take the Word here not in a strict limited Sense as it signifies Truth in Speech only in opposition to Lying but in a very large Notion as it signifies Probity of Heart Sincerity in all Things Universal Uprightness and Rectitude of Life in opposition to all Iniquity Charity is of no narrow Spirit but as diffusive as the Ocean as wide and spreading as the Universe and therefore it is not fit to bound it up here within a narrow Sense In short it signifies the Entire and True Practice of Religion and so the Apostle's meaning is That Charitable People are overjoy'd when Religion prospereth and encreaseth when Truth and Righteousness take Place and gain Ground when the Power of Godliness appeareth in Christians Lives when they perform their respective Duties truly uprightly and sincerely as it becometh their Profession and is suitable to their high Calling This is peculiarly Applicable to those of St. Paul's Function who cannot but be passionately affected with Joy unspeakable when they find their Labours successful when the Work and Pleasure of God prospers in their Hands when they see of the Travel of their Souls and behold the Fruit of it to their Satisfaction Nor can there be any such great Encouragement to Men of that Sacred Office as to be able to call their several Charges as St. Paul did the Thessalonians their Joy and Crown of Rejoycing 1 Thess 2. 19. Or to say as St. John did in the like case 3 John 4. I have no greater Joy than to hear that my Children walk in the Truth That is as becometh the Truth in Holiness and Sobriety in Humility and Meekness in Peace and Love and in all those Virtues which Adorn the Doctrine of God their Saviour But this Matter doth not only concern Ministers of the Gospel All People should be their Assistants in their respective Stations and Degrees to forward the true Interest and Advancement of Religion This is the most Zealous Expression of our hearty Love towards God the most significant Argument of Charity towards our Brethren the truest Testimony of an Enlarged and Noble Mind To take Pleasure in seeing Virtue and Holiness thrive and the Kingdom of Christ advanced in the World In order thereunto every one should be Zealous in his Place and Capacity in Encouraging the Growth of true Piety and in helping to Promote the Ends of the Gospel So that Vice and Irreligion may be not only out of Fashion but out of Countenance too This is the greatest Charity in the World because on this depends the Salvation of Souls which every particular Member of the Church is obliged to help on and set forward as much as in him lieth Begin at Home and Encourage your Families to be truly Religious in the first place The holy Psalmist sets you a great Example Psal 101. from Vers 2. to Vers 8. I will walk in my House with a perfect Heart I will take no wicked Thing in hand I hate the Sins of Vnfaithfulness there shall no such cleave unto me A froward Heart shall depart from me I will not know or countenance a wicked Person VVhoso privily slandereth his Neighbour him will I destroy VVhoso hath also a proud Look and high Stomach I will not suffer him Mine Eyes look upon such as are faithful in the Land that they may dwell with me VVhoso leadeth a Godly Life he shall be my Servant There shall no deceitful Person dwell in my House he that telleth Lies shall not tarry in my sight Our great Business in this Life is not to raise our selves Fortunes but to do God Service and to do the greatest Good we can to those about us And the true way of doing both is by our Examples Councels and Authority to Encourage all under our Care to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World And next to our Private Families the Neighbourhood we belong to must have a due share of our Zeal also As we go about we should sow Righteousness especially where we find the Soyl good Weed out the Cockle and Thistles Suppress every Thing that is Scandalous and Hurtful Mend Breaches Reform Manners Reprove Immorality Cherish Honesty Countenance the Meek and Gentle Teach Men to be Humble and Peaceable to be Orderly and Pious to be Just and Charitable to go to their Prayers to live in Unity to submit to those who have the Rule over them in the Lord we should teach Men how to Love and how to be Beloved In a word we should make it our business to Direct and Assist one another so that in this World we may all lead Quiet and Peaceable Lives in all Godliness and Honesty This is the way to serve the Truth to promote the Truth to advance its Interest and Honour to make it spread flourish and prosper so that we may have cause of Rejoycing indeed what Joy had St. Paul to see Religion propagated though it was sometimes by the