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	spirit_n	true_a	2,352	5	4.6188	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73905	Three sermons preached by that learned and reuerend diuine, Doctor Eedes, sometimes dean of Worcester, for their fitnesse vnto the present time, now published by Robert Horn ...	Eedes, Richard, 1555-1604.	1627 (1627)	STC 7527; ESTC S100344	78,692	109

vnlesse we walk innocently And our walking is with wisedome if wee haue the greatest care of the greatest matters if we turne our eyes from others to our selues for the iust man is the first accuser of himselfe and if we follow what is commanded not what we fancy in Religion for folly hath this miserie to be pleased with it selfe and it is hard to finde a man so foolish that thinkes not himselfe wise so incurable is the sicknesse of those that are wise in their owne opinion But what wisedome is in vs reiecting the word of the Lord Ier. 8.9 and how can wee be said to walke wisely who walke not after true wisedome but after Machiauell In Christian vertues wee doe our dueties to halues and therein professe our selues wise is this to walke wisely Wee draw examples into rules and presume that euery thing is lawfully done that is done commonly Many thinke it to be a safe and good plea to say that either they were not the first that did so or that they doe no more then others Is there any wisedome in this but such shall one day finde that as they haue sinned with the multitude they shall be punished with the multitude and beare them company in their destruction as they bore them company in their sinne they finned by example but they shall be punished in their owne persons when it will be but cold comfort to them to goe to hell with company And then what wisedome will it be to seeke a defence either in the example or custome of euill Here I would we that should teach others could teach our selues wisedome should be in our mouthes and the vertue of it in our wayes but doe wee not follow the droue to the shambles that should lead the sheepe of the slaughter to Christ Wee that should turne others from the world doe we not cleaue to the world our selues and haue we not our conuersation in couetousnesse that say to another thou shalt not couet Wee should conquer the world and hath not the world made a conquest of vs Wee are not vnder that tyrannie that did Cloister the Ministers of the Gospell from these outward things and from all libertie in them but are wee so circumspectly wise as to vse this our libertie without scandall Doe we gouerne our families to the example of others Doe wee vse the World as if wee vsed it not Or rather doe we not vse it as if we had skill to vse nothing else Or as if it were our charge and not the flocke of Christ committed to vs Many haue a minde to enter the course of godlinesse who still stand at the gate or goe backe taking a longer day For they deferre the resolution thinking they can neuer beginne to late where true Christians thinke they can neuer beginne too soone One speaking of folly speaketh well of such Inter caeter a mala hoc quoque habet stultitia semper incipit viuere among many other euils that folly hath this is one shee is euer beginning to liue Doe such walke wisely To these wee may adde another kinde of fooles that walke no better And they are such as make indeed more haste to beginne but with as ill speede for they dwell vpon their beginnings and are neuer led forward to perfection Hebr. 6.1 Hauing gotten the reputation of forward men they spend vpon the stocke of that poore credit of theirs till all be gone And these in steede of walking wisely walke as foolishly as any for besides that they leaue to bee good they desire to bee no better and they left but the World with Demas to returne more violently to it before they held it in one hand now they embrace it with both 2 Tim. 4.10 Quest But is euery walking wisely walking well Ans Euery walking wisely according to the word wherein and wherein onely is true wisedome is safe walking and walking wel not else for wisdome in her corruption is the mother of heresie for opinion and of disobedience for action yet humbled vnder the spirit and directed by the word she becomes both a bulwarke for truth and a guide for well doing So the Apostle vnderstandeth wisedome Eph. 1.8 saying that God was abundant toward vs in all wisedome and knowledge And here he maketh these two to wit sapience whereby we vnderstand heauenly things and prudence whereby we rightly apply whatsoeuer wee vnderstand of God in heauenly things to the dueties of our Christian life these I say he maketh two maine props of faith by which it is plaine that policie and true religion are not such strangers as some would make them Indeede craft and true religion can neuer meet but wisedome and godlinesse may and Christian policie in Christians is sometimes and for some purposes necessary therefore our Sauiour Christ when he sent his Disciples as Sheepe among Wolues bidding them to be wise as Serpents not wise Serpents that is craftily wise but yet wise as Serpents that is politiquely so He requires I grant simplicitie of them but it is the simplicitie not of Asses but of Doues Mat. 10.16 that is innocent simplicitie not sillie simplicitie And this wisedome Paul vsed in the councell when hee cast a bone betweene the Sadduces and the Pharises Acts 23.6 7. saying I am a Pharise the sonne of a Pharise of the hope of the resurrection of the dead am I accused and so set them together This no way iustifieth that mysterie of iniquitie that worketh in those faithlesse and craftie Iesuites whom the father of errours sendeth ouer vnto vs men of as many soules as Proteus had faces Quo teneam vultus mutantem Protea nodo saith the Poet that is how shall we lay a net for such changelings or catch as in a knot such slippery Eeles and flies of Rome that breake through all Lawes and haue halfe in their lips and halfe in their heart and conscience These are not godly but wickedly wise nor without guile wise but wise to doe euill But wherein chiefely consisteth spirituall wisedome and circumspect walking in and by redeeming the time for it followeth VERS 16. Redeeming the time for the dayes are euill THey that redeeme the season making euery time the time of repentance are spiritually wise and doe circumspectly walke Not they that apply themselues to all times nor they that vainly spend the good houres of time for such poure out their time as water that is spilt which cannot be gathered vp againe and doe not redeeme time but loos 〈◊〉 To redeeme the time therefore is not to neglec● 〈◊〉 grace that it offereth for though the time be 〈◊〉 too late when a man doth repent and God be of 〈◊〉 suffering and great patience yet haue wee no patent of that acceptable time of grace and he that biddeth vs while we haue the light to beleeue in the light Iohn 12.36 giues vs to vnderstand that the hauing of the light is no inheritance Gods peculiar people the Iewes had the light

grose sinnes and so with greedinesse as wee doe nor drinke iniquitie as the most doe who drinke it as the beast doeth water Neither are wee to be wary or circumspect onely in the greater euils but in smaller offences also wee must stop their course when they are a beginning and roote them vp when they are young For little sparkes may proue great fires and small springs rise to great ponds The least infirmities wee haue doe bring as Saint Hierom noteth though not death yet sickenesse to the soule and though they doe not quench yet they make sad the Spirit of God And therefore as they that loue their bodily death doe not onely preuent death but the diseases that make way to it so they that care for the health of their soules will bee as diligent to preuent the disease as they would the death of it when they see it comming For if it bee true in the life of the body it is much more true in the life of the soule that vita non est viuere sed valere that is it is not life to liue but to bee in health and many liue by breathing that are dead in sinne If therefore we did as constantly beleeue that which wee cannot denie to be most true which is that our aduersary winnoweth vs as wheat and that we shall giue an account of euery not onely wicked but idle not onely deede but word Mat. 12.36 we would as Saint Ierom counselleth vs minima pro maximis cauere be as circumspect in small things as in great specially since the least sinne committed is made greater then wee can answer by the greatnesse of him against whom it is done This should make vs carefull to preuent not sinne onely but the occasions thereof that we be not ouer-taken ere we be aware and take the disease before we suspect it Animus vereri qui scit scit tuto vadere the minde that knoweth how to feare knoweth how to walke safely and without feare and it is care to be prouided against occasions that make vs secure As therefore it is written of the Africans because their Countrey is troubled much with Snakes that they tread lightly in euery place and if they chance to feele any cold thing doe more then halfe suspect it is a Snake and as they that ride with a charge in the night doe because of the darkenesse and their feare furthered by it take euery bush for a thiefe euen so wee who by reason of a greater charge goe in greater danger and are threatned with the bitings of sharper teeth then Snakes haue any should much more suspect vpon euery occasion thinking euery place we tread on to be a net to snare vs and euery thing we doe to be a bait to catch vs in euery grasse we should feare a snake and in euery bush a thiefe of our saluation as well against small as great sinnes we should come well appointed with the armour of light hauing about our loines the girdle of truth in our hands the shield of faith and sword of the spirit which is the word of God for the couer of our feet the preparation of the Gospell and the helmet of saluation on our head righteousnesse for our breast-plate and for all parts prayer which is the button or knot that holds all the peeces together that we loose nothing These we haue in the armory of Scripture by the key of Saint Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians chapter 6. verses 14 15 16 17 18. If wee take these peeces from thence arme with them vpon all occasions and vse them as we ought wee shall not runne into euill and when the enemy assaileth vs wee shall be ready both to giue him battaile and to send him backe And yet it will not be enough for our circumspect walking that we she all not onely sinne but occasions of sinne our selues except we so beare our selues in respect of others that we giue no occasion of iust offence to them by word or deede I say iust offence because many times an offence may be taken when it is not giuen So the aduersaries of the truth are offended at our doctrine which is true and at the fruits of it which are good like as the Iewes when Stephen did truely charge them to be men of vncircumcised hearts and eares such as euer resisted the holy Ghost as their fathers did were euen cut to the heart and gnashed at him with their teeth Acts 7.51 54. But how can we helpe it the offence is taken by them not giuen by vs. Now if the malice of the wicked be such that they will take offence at that which is well done how circumspect should we be and how circumspectly should we walke that by our euill deedes we giue them no iust occasion This occasion though it may be giuen diuers wayes either when we teach some false or vncertaine doctrine contrary to that which we haue receiued or when in things indifferent we abuse our Christian libertie eating with offence and wearing our apparell so as may iustly giue offence yet is it chiefely ment in this place as spoken of that offence that is giuen by our euill life for we ought to haue an honest testimony euen of them that are without and our light should so shine vnto others in our godly conuersation that they may see our good workes through it and by it or beholding it glorifie our father which is in heauen Mat. 5.16 we must not be an occasion that the name of God be blasphemed through vs Rom. 2.24 the rather because they that are without and also because they that are weake within haue their iudgement led by no other rule nor esteeme of the doctrine further or otherwise then they see it fruitfull in the followers therefore doth the Apostle exhort the Ephesians since they were called in hope to adorne the calling with their good liues and being renewed in the spirit of their minde to cast off the old man and to put on the new in holinesse Ephes 4.22 23 24. since they were lightned hee bids them to lay aside the workes of darkenesse and in an honest conuersation to doe the deeds that will not flye the light So he wrote to the Romans who also had bin called by God out of darkenesse into his marueilous light bidding them since that night was past to walke honestly as in the day Rom. 13.12 13. that is to doe the workes of the day of the Gospell not the vnfruitfull workes of the night of ignorance and of sinne The same Apostle writing to the Church at Corinth doeth in great zeale and with many reasons charge them to giue none offence either to the Iewes or to the Gentiles or to the Church of God 1 Cor. 10.32 but to edifie one another with their good example as well as doctrine ver 33. 1 Cor. 14.12 and in his former Epistle to the Thessalonians fift chapter and 22. verse for this cause hee