Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	apostle_n	faith_n	see_v	1,837	5	3.4858	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29110	The eye of faith, looking at eterntty [sic] being the sum and substance of a sermon, preached in the Cathedral Church of York, the sixth Sunday after Trinity, July the second, 1665 / by Christopher Bradley ...	Bradley, Christopher, d. 1678.	1666 (1666)	Wing B4124; ESTC R20241	13,160	32

Affliction in it self is often heavy and no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous Heb. 12. ●● yet in these respects it is light affliction 1. In regard of the demerit of sin which deserves the heavy wrath of God to all eternity 2. In regard of the shortness of it it is but for a moment 3. In regard of the operation of it it worketh an eternal weight of Glory the consideration of which made the Apostle say Rom. 8.18 I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which shall be revealed in us 4. In regard of that Patience and Support Levius fit patientia quicquid c●r●●g●re es● n●s●s which God is pleased to give his People under their afflictions and in his good time a happy issue and deliverance out of them ● This affliction is but for a moment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a very little time and presently past as the Greek word imports so that though our affliction be long in it self yet it is but for a moment compared to eternal sufferings seeing there is no proportion between the longest time and eternity The third thing to be opened is the Operation of it though Affliction be bitter yet here is the comfort of it ●●●is da● medus anabil●tatem it worketh Glory The end gives amability and sweetness unto the means we take a bitter Potion willingly for healths sake it worketh Glory Glory is the excellency or eminency of any thing resulting and arising from its Perfection Glory in the Greek signifies that high opinion or estimation of anothers Worth or Excellency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For example Glory in God is the Excellency of his Divine nature and Attributes above the Creatures Glory in the Creatures is the Excellency God puts upon them so that to glorifie God is not to make him more glorious than he is for God is infinite in all Perfection not capable of addition or diminution To glorifie God is to give him the praise of his Glory according to that of the Psalmist Ps 50. ult Who so offereth Praise glorifieth me so that to glorifie God is to divulge and publish abroad to others what eminent Attributes and what transcendent excellencies there are in God Gloriosum dicere to glorifie God is to declare him to be Glorious to glorifie the Creature is to make him glorious Gloriosum ●●cere But why is it called a weight of Glory The Apostle as Interpreters agree alludes to the Hebrew word which signifies both weight and glory Glory is a grave and weighty thing whom we honour are of great weight with us and highly esteemed in our minds and Glory as it were loads the beholder with admiration and this is also amplified by being an eternal weight of Glory As for the Apostles addition a far more exceeding weight of Glory I shall not trouble you with the various expositions of Interpreters they are very Rhetorical and sublime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle heaps one Hyperbole upon another so that neither Cicero nor Demosthenes had ever so elegant a strain of Rhetorick And therefore I shall acquiesce in the judgment of a learned Doctor of our Church who tells us that no words devised by the best wit and uttered by the most eloquent tongue of man are able to express that surpassing weight of Glory and well may it be so when both the Prophet Esa 61.4 1 Cor. ● 9 and Apostle tell us that Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him But for whom will Affliction thus work even for such as by the eye of Faith look at eternity for such as consider the redundancy of retribution and compare present things with future things as Oecumenius well observes And so you see the connexion of the Text with the Context while we look not c. Now for the opening and applying of the words because method is the Mother of memory I shall propound this method unto your Christian consideration 1. Explication 2. Observation 3. Application 1. I shall give you a brief Exposition of the words and that according to the Original The parts of the Text are two 1. An intimation of a Duty 2. The Reasons to enforce that Duty 1. Of the Duty While we look not c In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we not looking the participle signifying the continuation of the Action that is we look not with a transient eye a glance and away but with a constant steddy eye that is we must make it our main business to look at Eternity the Greek word contains in it an elegant Metaphor taken from one that shoots at a Mark to teach us that things of a spiritual and eternal nature must be the mark and scope at which we do collime and aim 2. Observe the eye with which we look else that will seem a Paradox which indeed i● a Divine Truth how can we look at the things which are not seen this is to be understood not of a natural or carnal eye but of the spiritual eye of Faith else there will be a disproportion between the faculty and the object And that this Exposition is true the Apostle testifies in that Definition or rather Description of Faith Heb. 11.1 Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen and in the 27. verse of that Chapter Moses is said by Faith to have seen him who is invisible Now to illustrate this a little the natural eye is like the sight of the Owl she cannot look upon the Sun Excellen● s●● sibil● struis s●●sum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 2.14 the weakness is in the faculty of sight so the natural man or as it is in the Greek the Animal man for he is a meer Animal in spiritual things receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned But the spiritual eye is like the sight of an Eagle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she is said to be sun-proof looking intently upon the Sun without being dazled and by that property makes proof of her young ones so Believers by the eye of Faith can look upon the Sun of Righteousness Jesus Christ Mal. 4.2 and at spiritual and eternal things And so I come to the second part of the Text the Reasons to enforce the Duty and they are two 1. The things that are seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are temporall the Greek word signifies for a season a very little time The second Reason is but the things which are not seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are eternal the Greek word signifies that which is alwaies in existence in being and the Hebrew word gned being added to

two Scripture-Truths 1. The immortality of the Soul and 2. the happiness or misery of the life to come which will last to all eternity As for the first though it hath been oft impugned both by ancient Hereticks and modern Schismaticks yet that the Soul of man is not only a spiritual Essence which actuates the body in which it is but an immortal Essence too which shall overlive the body we have good proof both from the Old and New Testament see Eccl. 12.7 Luke 23.46 and not only the ancient Fathers but the learned Gentiles by the light of Nature and dull spectacles of Philosophy have asserted this Truth If I were to speak to Heathens I might imitate St. Paul who confuted the Athenians Cretians and others out of their own Greek Poëts but seeing thanks be to God I speak to Christians I need not tell you what opinion Plato Pythagoras Aristotle and others held of the Souls immortallity seeing it is a received Axiom in Philosophy Anima rationalis est immortali● that the rational Soul is immortal And if the Soul be immortal and shall be re-united to the body at the Resurrection then it must have an Vbi a place of eternal bliss or misery And not only the Scriptures but the Greek and Latine Poëts do make mention of Heaven and Hell their Elysian fields and Tartarean Dungeon and the like As for the glories of the life to come and miseries of the second death Heathens as well as Christians have much written Now if we would know wherein the blessedness of the life to come doth consist both the Scriptures and the Fathers tell us that it consists in the Beatifical vision of Almighty God Mat. ● 8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God In thy Presence is fulness of joy Ps 16. ult and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore saith the Psalmist And St. Austin tells us Visio Dei beatifica sola est summum bonum nostrum that only the beatifical vision of God is our chiefest good As for the miseries of the life to come they consist in a separation from the Presence of God as St. Paul intimates 2 Thes 1.9 Rev. 20.6 this is called the second Death not properly but Analogically for as the death of the body is the separation of the Soul from the body so the death of the Soul is the separation of the Soul from God Poena damni est p●●talior quam poeta sensus Mortem sine morte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this Divines call the punishment of loss which they say is greater than the punishment of sense Hence it is that some of the Fathers call this second Death a death without death or a never-dying death it is a liveless life such is the miserable condition of the second Death 2. This Doctrine reproves and condemns those that mind only earthly things Phil. 3.19 Whose end is destruction whose God is their belly whose glory is in their shame who mind earthly things Sensual Atheists Epicures Epicuri de grege porci Libertines called not only in Scripture but in prophane Authors swine and dogs Heb. 12.16 Prophane Esau sold his birthright for one morsel of meat and prophane men sell Heaven for a little earth the joys of eternal life for the pleasures of sin which are but for a season Whence is it that any should hold the Soul to be mortal but from a principle of Epicurism when for ought that I could ever read the immortality of the Soul was never positively denied by any Sect of Philosophers except the Epicures who placing the chief happiness or summum bonum in corporal pleasures were as it were engaged to cry down the Soul The third lesson we may learn from hence is to teach us the Reason why they that truly fear God and mind the salvation of their souls dare not run with others to the like sensuality and excess of riot and therefore saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 4.4 5. they think it strange speaking evil of you who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead They look at the reckoning-day they look at eternity they consider how they may get through this troublesome world with good Consciences 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They give all diligence to add to Faith Vertue to Vertue Knowledge c. but he that lacketh these thingr is blind and cannot see afar off he cannot look at Eternity but the other labour to grow in Grace that they may be prepared for the Kingdom of Glory The fourth lesson which is the main instruction of this point is to exhort us in all things to look at eternity And this indeed is that which we must all aim at if we have any of that zeal to the Kingdom of Heaven which was so eminent in the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors as to be left upon Record for our instruction Now that we may look at our spiritual and eternal condition 1. We must labour for a lively and saving Faith in Jesus Christ Faith is the eye of the Soul to see as the hand of the Soul to receive 2. Labour to live by faith 2 Cor. 5. ● and not by sense Let us not so much consider what shall become of us in this Life as what shall become of us to all Eternity And let us alwaies remember that eternal life is begun in this life called the life of Grace Grace and Glory differ only in degrees Grace is the imitation of Glory and Glory the consummation of Grace none can live the life of Glory but such as live the life of Grace here without Regeneration there is no salvation Christ told Nichodemus Jo. ● 3 Except a man be borne againe he cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven So that while this life lasteth eternal life must be acquired or lost for ever Now give me leave a little to speak to all conditions of men that hear me Heb. 13. ●1 and I beseech you Brethren suffer the word of Exhortation by a particular Application 1. You that are Magistrates and Governors either in Church or State let all your actings be for the glory of God the honour of the King the Good Peace Welfare and Tranquility of the places where you live fulfil the end of Magistracy which is to suppress sin and vice and to encourage vertue and piety that people may lead under you 1 Tim. 2.2 a quiet and a peaceable life in all godliness and honesty And may more cheerfully and willingly 1 Pe●● 13 14 Submit themselves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as supreme or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well That so you may give a good account at the last day and