Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A44690
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A sermon directing what we are to do, after strict enquiry whether or no we truly love God preached April 29, 1688.
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Howe, John, 1630-1705.
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1696
(1696)
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Wing H3038A; ESTC R23981
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9,855
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16
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What to have this matter hang in indifferency through neglect whether thou lovest God or lovest him not It shews that neither regard to God nor a just value of thy self makes thee care whether thou art an holy Man or a Devil For know that the loving God or not loving him does more distinguish a Saint from a Devil than wearing a Body or not wearing it can do A Devil if he did love God were a Saint A Man that doth not love God he is no other though he wear a Body than an incarnate Devil It 's the want of love to God that makes the Devil a Devil makes him what he is Secondly For further Direction Take heed of passing a false Judgment in this case a Judgment contrary to the truth for first That 's to no purpose it will avail thee nothing you can't be advantag'd by it for yours is not the supream Judgment there will be another and superior Judgment to yours that will controul and reverse your false Judgment and make it signifie nothing it is therefore to no purpose And Secondly It is a great piece of Insolency for it will be to oppose your Judgment to his certain and most authoriz'd Judgment Who if this be your case hath already judg'd it and tells you I know you that you have not the love of God in you It belongs to him by Office to Judge The Father hath committed all Judgment to the Son as a little above in this Chapter From what will you depose him dethrone him disannul his Judgment condemn him that thou may be righteous to borrow that Job 40.8 Thirdly It 's most absurd supposing such Characters as you have heard do conclude against a Man in this case yet to judge himself a lover of God If against the Evidence of such Characters a Man should pronounce the wrong Judgment it would be the most unreasonable and absurd thing imaginable For then let us but suppose how that wrong Judgment must lye related to those fore-mention'd Characters that have been given you Let me remind you of some of them He that never put forth the Act of love to God cannot say he hath the Principle He that is not inclin'd to do good to others for the sake of God 1 John 3.17 He that indulges himself in the inconsistent love of this World 1 John 2.15 He that lives not in obedience to his known Laws John 14.15 1 John 5.3 with many more Now if you will pass a Judgment of your case against the Evidence of such Characters come forth then let the matter be brought into clear light put your sense into plain words and this it will be I am a Lover of God or I have the love of God in me though I can't tell that ever I put forth one act of love towards him in all my Life I have the love of God in me though I never knew what it meant to do good to any for his sake against the express words of Scripture How dwelleth the love of God in such a man I have the Love of God in me though I have constantly indulged my self in that which he maketh an inconsistent love Love not the World nor the things which are in the World If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him I have the love of God in me though I would never allow him to Rule me though I never kept his Commandments with a design to please him and comply with his wâ—ll I have the love of God in me though I never vaâ—ued his Love I have the love of God in me though I never cared for his Image for his Presence for his Converse for his Interest and Honour I beseech you consider how all this will sound Can any thing be more absurdly spoken And shall it be upon such improbabilities or impossibilities as these that any Man will think it fit to venture his Soul I 'll pawn my Soul upon it I 'll run the hazard of my Soul upon it I am a lover of God for all this Would you venture any thing else so besides your Soul Would you venture a Finger so an Eye so It 's to place the name where there is nothing of the thing It 's to place the name of a thing upon its contrary The Soul of Man can't be in an indifferency towards God but if there be not love propension there is aversion and that 's hatred And what is hatred to be called love If you bear that habitual disposition of Soul towards God to go all the day long with no inclination towards him no thought of him no design to please him to serve him to glorifie him If this be your habitual temper and usual course will you call this Love Shall this contrariety to the love of God be call'd love to him You may as well call water fire or fire water as so grosly mis-name things here and therefore again In the Third place That we may advance somewhat Plainly and positively pass the true Judgment If the Characters that you have heard do carry the matter so come at last plainly and positively to pass the true Judgment of your own case though it be a sad one and tell your own Souls Oh my Soul Though I must sadly say it I must say it All things conclude and make against thee The love of God is not in thee Why is it not as good this should be the present issue at your own Bar and at the Tribunal of your own Conscience as before God's Judgment-Seat Why should you not concur and fall in with Christ the authorized Judge Whose Judgment is according to truth Why this is a thing that must be done the case requires it and God's express Word requires it 1 Cor. 11.31 Other previous and preparatory Duty plainly enjoyned doth by consequence enjoyn it and requires that it follow 2 Cor. 13.5 What is Examination for but in order to Judgment It must therefore be done and I shall shew how it must be done and proceed to some farther Directions First You must do it solemnly Take your selves aside at some fit season or another Inspect your own Souls review your Life Consider what your wonted frame and your ordinary course has been And if you find by such Characters as heretofore were given this is the truth of your case then let Judgment pass upon deliberation Oh my Soul Thou hast not the love of God in thee Whatsoever thine appearances hitherto have been And whatsoever thy Peace and Quiet hath been thou hast not the love of God in thee Let it be done with Solemnity Secondly Do it in the sight of God as before him as under his Eye as under the Eye of Christ That Eye that is as a flame of fire that searches Hearts and tries Reins Arraign thy self before him Lord I have here brought before thee a guilty Soul a delinquent Soul a wretched an horrid delinquent a Soul that was breathed