Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	act_n	believe_v	faith_n	3,882	5	5.9558	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29649	The way to the Sabbath of rest, or, The souls progress in the work of regeneration being a brief experimental discourse of the new-birth in which many of the serpents wiles are detected, the mysteries of the Cross unvailed, the death of the old man, the life of the new man, the angelical dispensation, with the entrance to the divine / clearly laid open and discovered by Mr. Thomas Bromley.	Bromley, Thomas, 1629-1691.	1692 (1692)	Wing B4888B; ESTC R35790	39,085	70

much upon Imagination sometimes taking advantage of the strong Influences of the external Heavens and if we are so strong as to reject Thoughts which tempt to speculative Delight in Objects which our corrupt Nature formerly imbraced but now being changed abhorreth we shall find the Evil One drawing us to close with and entertain thoughts not evil in themselves yet very evil to us because they present and feed the Soul with unprofitable Pictures which should be alone entertained with the sweet Meditation of Christs Love and the way to be compleated in it And I know many are exceedingly troubled with the working of their Imaginations on inconsiderable trifling Objects when as they dare not entertain any Thoughts grosly evil and where this State is grown into a long habit it will be difficult to come out of it though a Soul be very sensible of the Vanity of it and long to be freed from it as finding the Imagination in these workings to be like the Witch of Endor raising up the Old Prophet Samuel or the Inward Man from the sleep of Silence and innocent Stilness to be disquieted with vain Earthly things 1 Sam. 28.15 In this case therefore it concerns the Soul to stand continually upon its Watch lest it be sometimes snatcht away unawares and ingaged in Vanity before it sees where it is Here the continual Exercise of the Cross is very necessary that by it we may cast down imaginations and lead Captive every thought into the Obedience of Christ so that the chief work now is the reducing this moveable Sea into Subjection to the illuminated Understanding therefore the Soul prays and strives continually against the Power of Imagination and Activity of Thoughts which hinder the silent actings of the Intellect upon Eternity and supernatural Truths And here Faith and Perseverance are very needful We need Faith to believe that by the Power and strength of Christ we may overcome these Imaginations and Perseverance that we may not faint in the Way and give off the constant Exercise of the Cross in rejecting beating down and ceasing from these Motions of the imaginary faculty till we come to be conquerors and to Command them which is possible through Christ who is come into our World to destroy the Works of the Devil and to rule till he hath put all his Enemies under his Feet of which these idle Thoughts are a part And as the Soul here uses the Power it hath received from Christ in checking rejecting and beating down all idle thoughts as a means to overcome them so likewise it is oft Exercising of its Understanding upon the Eternal Love and free Grace of God and in considering the mystery of that Paradisical World in which the Angels and Spirits of the just are It much also reflects upon the Presence of its Saviour who hath promised to be with us to the end of the World filling all things in his Divine Nature for he continually stands at the Door and knocks so that the Soul waits every moment for the fulfilling of that Promise of his coming into it and supping with it Rev. 3.20 And this constant attending upon God with the Eye of the Understanding proves a very effectual mean to the destroying of those Imaginations which come to Entangle the Soul in unprofitable diversions In this practice the Understanding gets such power over the Imaginations that it enjoys almost a continual sight or apprehension of God's Presence and sees beyond the working of Imagination by the Eye of the Understanding enlightned and by little and little attains that strength that although we should have necessary occasion to take up our thoughts in some external Employment yet the Understanding pierceth thorough it and in the very time of exercising its reason on that particular it hath strong and clear Apprehensions of the Presence of God and the Spiritual World which clearly shews that Intellection or the true acting of the Understanding is somewhat beyond Reason which is not able to do two things at once and Act upon several Objects at the same instant And this constant Apprehension or Sense of the divine Presence is without any Fantasm it being in that Moment when the Phantasms are employed upon another Object and they having somewhat of materiality cannot afford that spiritual Sight and Apprehension such a Soul hath constantly of God which is without figure colour or similitude yet I must confess the usual Contemplations of the Soul in this state upon spiritual Objects whether of Paradise Angels supernatural Truths and Scripture Verities are not without the use of Phantasms which being ordered by Divine Light and Wisdom do in some measure according to their nature express spiritual Truth Though I confess this is far below the true Intellection of the Understanding informed with the presence of Divine Light in regard these Phantasms being generally drawn from Corporeal Objects cannot reach the essence of a Spirit And truly here the Soul plainly discovers its fall from the Divine Mind Image and Light in which it saw intuitively and could give Names according to the natures of things into the imaginary Spirit which belongs to this World and is too gross a Glass to express truly and essentially Spiritual Eternal Objects And here it appears how easily Man's Reason being the apt and methodical ordering of his Phantasms may misguide the Understanding in Spiritual things as in Comments upon Scriptures which were inspired by the Holy Ghost and wrote by Revelation and so require the help of that same Spirit to elevate the Understanding above Imagination in the true Interpretation of them especially in things which are out of the Road of those Moral V●●ities which the light of Nature impresseth upon Mens Consciences to steer them in their Lives and Conversations Then let us pray for that true Light Which gives a true and constant Sight Of God Christ Angels who do lie Much deeper than laps'd Reasons Eye Which in the Glass of Phantasie A lively Picture may espy But not the Essence of true Verity CHAP. IX THe Soul having arrived so far as to enjoy almost a continual apprehension of the Presence of God and Angels finds its self much freed from those vain thoughts which in former Dispensations were very troublesom But being Conquerour over these it must take heed lest the new Objects of Heaven Angels and spiritual Gifts set the Imagination too much a work in representing their Excellencies and picturing forth such a State of the Soul enriched with them which may yield too much imaginary Delight and draw the Spirit into the admiration of fine pleasant Pictures instead of the true Substance Therefore we are strictly to watch over the Phantasie which may easily err in this particular and not without great prejudices following upon it for first by such working of Imagination we come to slacken the Exercise of the Cross both upon Imagination its self which

Reign No bitterness did ever in it rise From the worst Actings of its Enemies But still it thinks the Best is not severe Sin to impute but rather all would clear 6. All Falshood and Injustice distant are As from it's Joys so from it 's spotless Sphere But Truth in Heart Word Works are it's delight A pleasing Object to a Virgin sight 7. It covers all that Malice would reveal It pardons and would fain all Breaches heal It doth believe all that may Crimes excuse Except meer Evidence makes it refuse And tho' things at the present appear bad It hopes at length they will be better made Thus it endureth all things waits to see Through the long Patience a full Victory 8. Which Love will gain for it can never die But must out-last the Gift of Prophecy Yea and of Languages for they must cease And give way to United Blessedness When all our Twilight Knowledge will expire In the Bright Beams of it's Eternal Fire 9. Knowledge and Prophecy are but in Part But Love's that Essence which must fill the Heart By that imperfect Gifts absorpt must be But that ends well that dies in Charity 10. Children like Children reason think and speak Their Intellectual Actings are but Weak But when to Manly Age we do arrive No longer then in Childish things we live So when our Hopes in Love consummate are Imperfect Lights and Gifts will disappear 11. For little here but Images we see And Pictures of Essential Verity Eternal Truths in Riddles do appear Much is obscure but very little clear Yet when the perfect Love we shall possess With Intuition Heaven will us Bless Then Face to Face we shall that Beauty see By which Angelick Hosts astonish'd be Then shall we know as we of him are known By Rays of Intellect and pure Sensation 12. Therefore when Faith Hope Love we do compare Love hath the Palm this Love the Crown doth wear The Evidence of things not seen Faith is And Hope our Anchor till we come to Bliss But then they both expire and both resign To Love the First-born of the Sacred Trine Without which Heaven could not Heaven be Neither a Place of Rest nor Unity 'T is this that links Eternity to Time And makes the Heavens with our Earth to chime 'T is this that knits Eternal Souls in one And bind's the Angels in Conjunction 'T is this that draws down the Almighty Powers To over-shadow us in Golden Showr's That so our Hearts might more enriched be With the abundant Fruits of Charity FINIS Regeneration described Foreseeing Matthias to be Surrogated into the place of Judas (a) Acts 2.37 (b) Eccles 7.29 (c) Ephes 2.3 (d) Luke 8.27 (e) Heb. 12.14 (f) Rom. 3.19 (g) Ioh. 1.26 (h) Rev. 3.20 (i) 1 Ioh. 1.7 (k) Rom. 5.10 (m) 1. Cor. 6.20 (n) Cant. 2.5 (o) Cant. 1.2 (p) Colos 2.27 (q) Cant. 2.4 11 13. (r) Cant. 1.2 (s) Rev. 3.1 (t) Rev. 3.2 (u) 1 Ioh. 4.19 (x) 2 Ioh. ver 8. (w) Isaiah 1.19 (x) Gal. 5.7 (y) 2 Tim. 2.11 (z) Rom. 8.13 (a) Mat. 7.13 (b) Luke 14. ●● (c) 1 Pet. 2.21 (d) 1 Cor. 15.49 (e) Mat. 18.3 (f) I exclude not the Soul nor the Resurrection-Body for they both vested with this image shall arrive at Immortality and possess Heaven 1 Thes 4.17 (g) Isaiah 66 1. Phil. 3.8 (k) 1 Cor. 5.7 (l) Rev. 12 7. (m) 1 Ioh. 1.7 (n) Rom. 6.5 (p) 1 Cor. 9.27 (r) Heb. 5 14. (s) 1 Cor. 12.5 (t) Heb. 12.22 (u) 2 Kings 6.17 (w) Heb. 12.1 (x) Gen. 32.1 2. (x) Rev. 1.6 (y) Heb. 10.20 (a) Heb. 12.4 (b) Gen. 2.25 (c) Luk. 14 33. (d) Gal. 5.24 (e) Col. 3.5 (f) Mat. 19.27 (g) Rev. 21.7 Luk. 14.27 (h) 1 Cor. 15.50 (i) Rev. 13.16 17. Though I hint at the mystical Sense of the Beast in Rev. 13. yet I deny not the Historical as it hath been truly applyed to a Succession of Persons in the signally lapsed or Antichristian Church (k) 2 Cor. 10.5 (l) Phil. 3.20 (m) Mat. 28.20 (n) Eph. 4.10 (o) Heb. 11.27 (p) Ephes 1.18 (q) Act. 17.29 (r) Gen. 1.27 (s) Gen 2.19.20 (t) Eccles 7.29 (u) 1. Cor. 2.14 (w) Joh. 14.26 (x) Isaiah 2.16 (y) 2 Cor. 10.5 (z) Psal 40.10 (a) Rev. 1.10 (b) Rev. 4.2 (c) Rev. 16 13 19 20. Though I here allude to the false Prophet mention'd in the Apocalypse yet I exclude not the External Prophetick sense of this or any other part of the Revelation which is a Prophetick History of the Church to the end of the World (d) 1 Cor. 2.12 (e) Gal. 4.26 (f) Eph. 4.4 (g) Iam. 5.20 (h) Ezek. 37.7 (i) Ioh. 1.13 (k) 1 Joh. 3.16 (l) Gal. 4.15 (m) Col. 2.5 (n) 2 Cor. 3.2 (n) Ezek. 16.15 (p) Gal. 6.14 (r) Gen. 22.2 (s) 1 Cor. 12.25 26. (t) Phil. 3.8 (a) 2 Cor. 6.10 a I deny not but some great Sea-Monster is in the Letter here described but that the Devils is here also alluded to and intended is not only my judgment but of many of the Ancients as appears clear by ver 34. which is a Key to the Rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 7.14 (a) Job 38.7 (b) Ezek. 37.12 13. (d) Rev. 1.7 (e) 1 Pet. 2.2 (f) Joh. 3.5 (g) Rev. 22 1. (h) Hos 14.5 (i) 1 Cor. 12.13 (l) Heb. 12 15. (m) Cant. 2.6 (n) Heb. 12 2. (o) Gen. 3.7 23. (p) Psal 46 4. (q) Heb. 4.3 (r) Gal. 6.14 (s) 1 Pet. 4.2 (t) 1 Joh. 8 3.14 (u) Heb. 5. (w) 1 Joh. 1.1 (x) 2 Kin. 6.17 (y) Rev. 14.2 (z) 1 Joh. 1.1 (a) Psal 45.8 (b) Cant. 2.5 (c) Psal 16.3 (d) Ioh. 17.21 (e) 2 Cor. 12.15 (f) 1 Tim. 2.1 (g) Col. 3.1 (h) John 15.5 (i) 2 Cor. 12. (k) Rev. 5.11 and 7. (m) Act. 22 1. 23. Joh. 14. (n) Luk. 14. 33. (a) The Greek words imports rather a loud sounding than a tinkling Cymbal (b) The Greek imports 't is never provoked into high Passion or Imbittered (c) In the English it beareth all things but according to the Greek it may be better rendred It covers or hides all Things Else the last words of the Verse these import the very same (d) The Division of Tongues divided and scattered Mankind