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	speak_v	2,156	5	4.5953	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73612	The spiritval tovchstone: or, The signes of a godly man drawne in so plaine and profitable a maner, as all sorts of Christians may trie themselues thereby. Together with directions, how the weake Christian, by the vse of these signes may establish his assurance. By. N. Bifield preacher of Gods word at Isteworth in Middlesex.	Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.	1619 (1619)	STC 4236.8; ESTC S124755	25,453	144

a 4. Humility true faith excludes boasting of our owne labors gifts or praises and makes vs able out of the sence of our owne vilenesse to acknowledge all the glory to Gods free grace and loue in Iesus Christ Rom. 3. 17. Gal. 3. 22. 5. The confession 5 Confessiō and profession of the truth Faith will make a man speake in defence of the truth I haue beleeued therefore haue I spoken saith Dauid Psalme 116 which the Apostles pleade to proue their faith also 2. Cor. 4. 13. 14. 6. The putting on of 6. Application of Christs righteousnesse righteousnesse which is not by the works of the Law done by vs. The application of and relying vpon the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ is the proper and onely worke of true faith Rom. 10. 7. It opens a spring 7. A verie spring of grace of graces in the heart of a true Christian he that is a true beleeuer is qualified with sundrie heauenly gifts which were not in him by nature which gifts do daily discouer themselues in his heart flowing from thence as if there were a spring of liuing waters in his bellie Sanctification of the spirit and faith of the truth be inseparable Ioh. 7. 38. 2. Thessalonians 2. 13. CHAP. V. The triall of a godly man by such heauenly gifts as serue him in his iourney to heauen THus of his triall in his humiliation and in his faith It followeth in the third place to trie him by his gifts which are the fruits of faith The true Christian differs from the wicked man in two sorts Two sorts of graces in a Christian of gifts Some of them are such gifts as are bestowed vpon him from aboue but serue him onely for his spirituall vse while he is on the way in his iourney to heauen and so onely in this life such as are the sacred thirst The loue to the word and meanes of his holinesse The spirit of supplication The loue of his enemies and his desire after the appearance of Iesus Christ Other gifts he hath which will accompanie him home into his heauenly country and abide vpon him for euer and are not abolished by death such as are sauing knowledge the loue of God and the loue of the godly First therefore of those heauenly gifts which will passe away and so he is qualified with fiue distinct holy gifts which cannot be found in any reprobate The first is his holy The holy thirst that is in the godly Christian tried by foure signes thirst which is a heauenly kind of appetite by which he is carried to the desire of things aboue nature such as are the merits and righteousnesse of Christ the fauour of God the presence of God the full deliuerance from all sinne the remouing of spirituall iudgements the saluation of other men and the like and this thirst is a signe the more infallible 1. Because it is constant and indelible in this life There is no part of his life but it continueth either in the sence of his affection or in the iudgement of his vnderstanding so as he accounts spirituall things to be the best things and though at some times his affections may be the lesse moued after them yet his appetite is daily renewed as it is in the hunger or thirst that is bodily 2. Because it is industrious For this holy thirst will guide him to a carefull vse of all the meanes by which good things may be attained and doth not breathe it selfe out onely with sudden and vaine wishes or flashes of desire Psal 27. 4. 1. Pet. 2. 2. Psal 63. 1. 2. Psalme 1. 2. Acts 2. 37. 3. Because it works a constant and secret meditation of heauenly things desired the heart frequently seekes after God day and night Isaiah 26. 9. Psalme 63. 1. 6. For what we desire feruently we thinke on almost continually 4. Because if the Lord quench his thirst and satisfie his desire in spirituall things the soule becomes as a watered garden and then followes in him an heauenly kind of satisfaction and contentment with singular delight in the soule and vowes and wishes of infinite and eternall thankfulnesse Psalme 63. 4. 5. Iere. 31. 25. 26. And thus much of the first gift Secondly the loue His triall by his loue to the word to the word is another signe that he is the child of God and a cleare euidence of his saluation Now because all sorts of wicked men may resort to the exercises of the word and those that haue but a temporarie faith may shew a great estimation of the word and find ioy in the hearing of it shew much zeale in things that concerne the word and may yeeld some obedience to the directions of the word also it is profitable to consider how the true Christian may proue that his affection to the word is more sincere then that affection which any wicked man can bring to the word And thus he may find that his heart is sound in his loue to the word by these marks 1. By his manner of 13. Signes to trie his affection to the word by receiuing it when he doth receiue the word as the word of God and not of men setting his heart before Gods presence and being affected as if the Lord himselfe should speake vnto him This no wicked man dares do he dares not present himselfe with the whole intendments of his heart before the Lord. For this signe the Apostle Paule acknowledged the Thessalonians to be true Christians 1. Thessal 2. 13. 2. By his Appetite to the word For there is in a godly man as true an hunger after the word as the food of his soule as there is in his stomach after the foode of his body which shewes it selfe to be the more sincere because it is constant he desires the word at all times and as his appointed foode daily as it is in the bodily appetite though after feeding the stomach may seeme to be full and satisfied yet the hunger reuiues againe euery day so it is with the heart of a child of God whereas wicked men regard the word but by fits and in a passion and then at length fall cleane away from the affection to it Psal 119. 20. Iob. 23. 12. 3. By his loue to them that loue the word 4. By his sorrow because other men keepe not the word Psal 119. 136. 5. By his vnfained estimation of the word aboue all worldly things accounting it to be an happy portion to enioy the word in the power and profit of it Psal 119. 14. 72. 111. 6. By his desire delight to exercise himselfe in it day and night that is constantly Psal 1. 2. 7. By his griefe either for the want of the meanes by which the word might be taught vnto him with power accounting such want of the meanes to be a sore famine or for want of successe in the vse of the meanes whē he doth enioy it Psa 42. 3. Am.