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	scripture_n	true_a	1,770	5	4.4847	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01027	A fruitfull sermon made by the reverend and learned Mr. Iohn Forbes. Pastour of the English company of merchants adventures at Delft. Published by some of his flock out of sincere affection for common good	Forbes, John, 1568?-1634.	1626 (1626)	STC 11130; ESTC S116489	28,013	106

recreation of the flesh and had rather loose the opportunity of gayning Christ in a sermon then fayle to accomplish the least desire of their sinfull hearts in fulfilling the lusts of the flesh whose judgment must needs bee heavy and greivous before God seing willingly they choose death with the contempt of life And thus much for the points of tryall now followes the fourth point which is the argument it self whereby the Apostle enforceth them to acknowledge that Christ in his ministry was not weake towards thē but mighty in them which may be fully gathered after this manner in 2 several arguments the first whereof is containd in the preceding words in this forme If ye by tryall find yourselves to be in the faith and Christ in you thē must ye acknowledg that Christ is not weake but mighty in my ministry towards you but by tryall ye shall find that you are in the faith and Christ in you therefore yee must acknowledge Christ to bee mighty in my ministry toward you The 2. Argument is the cōfirmation of the 2 part of this that is that by tryall they shall find themselves in the faith and Christ in them after this māner eyther ye must find your selvs in the faith Christ in you or thē ye must bee reprobate Christiās but wee confidently trust yee shall find yee are not reprobate Christiās therefore ye must find yourselvs to bee in the faith and Christ in you Al the 3 parts of this argument may be easily gathered out of the Apo. words for the proposition is plaine in the 5 verse the assumtion or 2 part is set downe in termes equivalent in the 6 verse the conclusion is implyed in the Apostles urged interrogation what c. in the 5 verse of which conclusion we haue spoken already touching the assumption or 2 part we are not to speake so it rests that we only entreat of the proposition or first part which seemes at the first to be a difficile and hard saying but yet is most certaine true for if that sentēce of the Apo. be marked which is set downe in the 13 of the Acts to wit that all they who were ordeyned to eternall life beleeved we shall finde that the Apo. reasons according to the truth of the Gospell that it followes necessarily that whosoeuer by the true ministry of the Gospell are not made to believ to embrace Christ must bee of the nōber of those whom God never ordeynd to eternall life this is cleare by 2 places of scripture besides many other the 1. is in the Epistle to Tytus Cap. 1. verse 1. where the Apostle calls faith the faith of Gods elect which is as much as to tell us not onely that the Gospell begets faith in none but such only as are elected but also that it doth beget faith in every one that is elected The 2 is in the Gospell of Ioh. 10 26 27 viz. But ye beleeue not because ye are not of my sheepe as I said unto you for my sheepe heare my voyce I know them and they follow mee this is cōfirmed by the words of Christ in the 6 of Iohn verse 35 36 37. he that beleeveth in mee shall never thirst but I sayd unto you that ye also haue seene mee and beleeue not all that the father giveth me shall come unto me where he playnely affirmeth the cause why they did not beleeue to be because the father had not given thē unto him or which is equivalent because they were not of his sheepe both which phrases import asmuch as that they wer none of Gods elect so that wee may conclude in the very words of the Apo. answering this demand hath God cast away his people what then saith the Apostle Israell hath not abtayned that he sought but the election hath obtayned it the rest haue bene hardned Out of all which wee are plainely taught by God that in whom the Gospell truely preached worketh no faith in whom by faith it planteth not Christ they must be reprobats hereby we learn that tho Gospell preached is the fan of Christ by which in this life he maketh a division of the chaffe from the corn severeth those whom the father hath given him from the wicked and such as are forsaken of God what then have they to boast of who vilipending the Gospell ministry thereof as foolishnes do therby testify against themselves that they are reprobats but wisdom is justified of her owne children for whomsoever the Gospell begetteth they do acknowledg it to be both the wisdom power of God unto salvation to them the feete of those that publish it are beautifull To conclude this point we may justly dispise those dispysers al their contempt of our ministry seing it doth no hurt to us nor our blessed ministry but doth discover them to us although not to thēselvs that they are rejected of God for if the Apo. conclude aright in the first Epist 1 Chap. to the Thes that he knew that they were elected of God because his Gospell was unto them not in word onely but also in power doth not also this conclusion stand on the contrary that they are not elect of God to whō the Gospell is onely in word not in power the words of Peter do demonstrate the truth of this matter plainly when he setteth downe this different judgmēt of men touching Christ Iesus our faviour saying unto you therefore which beleeve it is precious but unto them which be disobedient the stone which the builders disallowed the same is made the head of corner a stone to stumble at Rocke of offence even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient unto the which thing they were even ordayned We need no clearer evidēce therefore to make knowne unto us who are elect who are reprobate forsaken of God but this even the judgmēt estimation of every man concerning the Gospell ministry thereof What shall we say then of this miserable age wherein we do live in which there be so few that make any accompt at all of the blessed word of God messengers of Christ who of all men are coūted the basest their calling the most contemptible O Germany Germany this is the cheiffest cause of thy presēt misery that thou above all natiōs art cōtinually troad upō because of all nations thou didst most basely esteem of Christs servāts use them in most slavish manner Lord upon the eies of these Provinces wher we dwell that seing thēselvs guilty of the same offence they may in tyme prevēt the lyke judgment upon the like sin by unfained amendemēt surely we may say that there is no hope of delivery for the one nor of farther blessing to the other from God untill this iniquity be redressed oh that they wold give us occasiō with cōfidēce to pray to God for his mercie to them boldly to say to him thou wilt aryse have mercy upon Zion for the tyme to have mercy therō for the appoynted time is cōe for thy servāts delight in the stones thereof have pity on the dust therof certainly that promise of the Lord in his prophet I say is cōstantely true viz. that in the day wh●● the bud of the Lord shal be beautifull glorious the 〈…〉 shal be excellent 〈…〉 that day the Lord 〈…〉 every place of moūt Zion 〈…〉 assemblies thereof a cloud smoke by day the shyning of a flameing fyre by night for upon all the glory shal be a defence a covering shal be for a shadow in the day for the heate a place of refuge a covert for the storm and for the raine And now beloved I end with this warning from that same prophet to you to them and al the churches of God if thou turn away thy foote frō the sabbath from doing thy will on myne holy day call the sabbath a delight to cōsecrate it ●s glorious to the Lord and shalt honour him not doing thyn owne wayes not seeking thyn own will nor speaking a vain word then shalt thou delight in the Lord and I will 〈…〉 to mount upon the high places of the earth feed thee with the 〈…〉 vid thy father 〈…〉 Lord hath 〈…〉 AMEN 2. Cor. 2. 14. 2. Cor. 12. 13. 2. Cor. 12. 11. 2. Cor. 10 Cap 1 10. vers 2. Cor. 13 9. 2. Cor. 12. 11. Deut. 19. vers 15. Cor. 2. cap. 4. vers 7. 2. Cor 2. cap. 10. vers 4. 1 Cor. 1. cap. 3. vers 5 1 Cor. 1 24 Ibidem 18. 1. Iohn 4 1. Psal 34 8. 1 Pet. 2 2 ● Psal 19. 10. Rom. 10 15 Esai 52 7. Galat. 4 13 14 15. 1 Cor. 14. 32. 1. Io. 4 1. 1. Cor. 10. 4 5. Rom. 1 19. Ibidem 11 21. 1. Pet. 1 3 4 Rom. 5. 5. Habr 4. 12. Rom. 14 4. Mat. 7 12. 1 Cor. 4 3. Ibidem 11 30 38. 2 Thes 3 14 15. 2 Tim. 2 19 1. Cor 2 14 15. Heb. 11. 1. 1. Cor. 1 18 Cap. 53 1. E●an Iohn 16 27. Iohn 17 6. 7 8. 1. Rom. 16. Mat. 6 20. Acts. 8 Mat. 13 47. Mat. 20 16 Rom. 14. 23 1. Cor. 1 30. 2. Tim. 1. 4. 5. Col. 1. 23. Ibidem 2 6 7. 2. Cor. 3. 5. Iohn 15. 5. Phil. 4. 13. Rom. 12. 3. Gen. 4 9. 1 Iohn 2 27 Iohn 1. 5. 9. 10. Dent. 19. 5. Iohn 14 20. 1. Pet. 2 7. 8. Isa ● 14. Isa ● 〈…〉 13.

thē to proove examine his words are proove yourselues examine yourselvs The question being of the power of Christ in Pauls ministry he referreth the tryall thereof to his hearers in themselvs which he would never haue done if the question concerning this power in all mens preaching were not to be decided rather by that which is felt by experience in the hearers than by any thing whatsoever in the Teacher Divers singular uses we haue of this poynt First touching the true knowledge of the nature of all spirituall things It must be taken from the tryall and experience which we have of them in onr selvs which is the true limits and bounds as well as the ground foundatiō of all true knowledg of God and all things belonging to salvation For how excellent and superemminently good soever they be in themselvs our mindes can rise no higher in apprehending and knowing them then the experience and sence is which wee receive of theire force and effectuall working in and upon ourselvs And this is true not onely in the supernaturall knowledge of God heavenly things but also in so far as nature it self can apprehend of God this is manifest by the Apostles words to the Romans when he sayth that which might be known of God is manifest in men themselves For which cause he justly concludeth the Gentiles to haue beene vniust detayners of the truth of God and therefore most justly punisht from heaven because knowinug God they did not glorifie him as God neither were thankfull For it is most certaine that there can bee no true judgement of these things that are spirituall and so no way subject to the apprehension of earnall sences but onely from the sence and seeling of our soules according to the measure of working whereby it pleaseth God by his spirit to make our soules sensible of his nature and goodnes which wee never can rightly esteeme of vntill by his blessed gospell begetting us again to a liuely hope of an inheritance immortall vndefyled and that withereth not he powreth in by his spirit aboundantly in our harts his loue and peace that passeth all vnderstanding neither can wee ever acknowledge the blessed word of God to be the power of God vnto salvation vntill that by experience wee find it to bee that which the Apostle describes it to bee in us viz. a living word mighty in operation and sharper then any two edged sword and piercing into the devision of our soule and of our spirit the joynts the marrow and judging the verie thoughts and intents of our harte so that wee may justly conclude that no man hath any more true knowledge eyther of God the gospell or ministry thereof then so far as in himself he hath felt by proofe and experience their efficacy and working upon himself Moreover this teacheth us another lesson touching the true course of mens tryall in matters spirituall and specially of the vertue and power of any mans ministry it is apparent that the Corinthians did narrowly marke the Apostle himselfe in his outward estate and in his vtterance and eloquence in all which they externally found nothing in their carnal judgmēt but basenes weakenes and words of no valew but in the meane time they did not marke the mighty work of that weake mā by his seeming weake words in their owne harts inwardly which made them perverse and sinistrous Iudges of his ministry the vertue and power whereof is not to be discerned by ought that outwardly can bee perceaved eyther by the eye in behoulding the speaker or by the eare in hearing his eloquence but onely by the inward sence and feeling of their owne harts and spirits And this serves to correct two great vices in our judging first concerninge the persons and 2 concerning the matter Touching the persons its a common vice to bee busie in taking notice in judging of others but not of our selves whereas our mindes ought to bee still examining our selves not others for as sayth the Apostle who art thou that judgest another mans servant hee standeth or falleth to his owne Lord and not unto thee and the scriptures of God continually warne us to absteyn from judging of others and still to judge and tax our selvs least wee be judged and in judging others to begine first at our selves because thereby we shal be the more able to giue righteous judgment of others for as Christ sayth how can a man say to his brother let me cast out a mote out of thine eie behould there is a beame in his owne eie Mat. 74. For how shall a man see to cast out a mote out of his brothers eie unto the time that first he hath cast out the beame out of his owne eie For Christ himself shewes that with what judgment wee judge others wee shal be judged and with what measure wee meat unto others it shal be measured againe to us Besides that the judgment of others is not left unto us by the Lord but reserved unto himself and therefore the Apostle counteth it a very small matter to bee judged by the Corinthians or any mans judgment touching his fidelity in his ministry but this Apostle earnestly invites us to judge and examine our selvs and sheweth to the Corinthians that if wee judged our selves wee should not bee judged of the Lord with his temporall plagues as infirmities sicknes and temporall death by which the Lord did chastise the Corinthians for not judging and examining thēselvs before they did eat of the Lords bodie And this duety of not judging others but our selvs is the more carefully to bee observed by us because as we shall heare afterwards every faithfull Christian is able by the spirit of God given him to discerne of himself his spirituall estate aright but as concerning others although in the judgment of charity wee ought to esteeme well of all that professe Christ yea euen of those with whom wee refuse to converse for disobedience in them whom still according to the rule of the Apostle wee are not to esteeme as enemies but to admonish as brethren yet the infallible knowledge of their estate in Christ is only known to God who only knoweth who is his owne The 2. errour concerning the matter of our judgment is hereby likewise corrected wee see and perceaue this to bee a common folly in men to looke upon the person of the preacher upon his gifts and utterance and still to be censuring all men to bee eyther good or bad preachers according as they find them to satisfie or displease their judgment in their gifts of knowledge vtterance or eloquence and so often fall in a wofull errour in contemning the best applauding the worst whereas the matter of all true judgment of preaching consists not so much in the matter or utterance of the preacher as in the power of that which is spoken which power is