Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	believe_v	delusion_n	unrighteousness_n	1,978	5	11.2673	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10931	Certaine sermons preached and penned by Richard Rogers preacher of Weathersfield in Essex, directly tending to these three ends. First, to bring any bad person (that hath not committed the sinne that is vnpardonable) to true conuersion. Secondly, to stablish and settle all such as are conuerted, in faith and repentance. Thirdly, to leade them forward (that are so setled) in the Christian life, to bring foorth the fruite of both. Whereunto are annexed diuers godlie and learned sermons of another reuerend and faithfull seruant of God, Mr. Samuel Wright, Bachelor of Diuinitie, late president of Sidney Colledge in Camebridge, deceased, tending also to the same ends, with diuers particular points in both, profitable and fit for these times.	Rogers, Richard, 1550?-1618.; Wright, Samuel, d. ca. 1612. aut	1612 (1612)	STC 21203; ESTC S116121	188,868	230

token thereof that there was great ioy amongst them and they forsooke the sorcerer who had deceiued them All which with many other such examples doe teach hearers of Sermons to aime at this point first and chiefely that they may be changed in their minds and hearts from their former blind iudgement and corrupt nature embrace Christ for their only Sauiour as being lost in themselues and declare their loue and thankfulnesse for the same to him euer after and to bring foorth the fruits thereof in a godly and Christian life which being farre otherwise in the most hearers at this day layeth hardly to their charge that either they know not the end of preaching nor ●o what end they heare or else a worse thing namely that they regard not but set light by Gods ordinance which he will most certainely be reuenged of when it shall be little welcome vnto them And to follow this point of the end of preaching that it is to turne people to God it is not to be maruelled at for great is the force of it as we see in those that were mockers raile●● on the Apostles in the second of the Acts who were yet conuerted by Peters Sermon And so throughout the whole booke where Paul preached among the Gentiles through whole countries and cities they who had long sit it darknes as hauing neuer heard of Christ saw great light and were perswaded to beleeue in him and receiued the word with great ioy For the word of God is mightie in operation and sharper then any two edged sword and entereth thorow euen to the diuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit and the ioynts and the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart For although all men are borne in sin and so they loue and like well to lie therein and though the naturall man is not obedient to the will of God neither can be and being at amitie with the world is at enmitie with God in which estate they are farre from the hope of the life to come yet when they so heare the Gospell that they beleeue and when the wisedome of God once enters into their hearts and the knowledge of his word delights their soules it is maruellous what a change is wrought in them thereby For as children while they bee without discretion are wholly carried after childishnesse and babish folly yet if they come to yeeres of vnderstanding and begin to see that they must liue in the world they let go childishnesse and wax thriftie euen so when God by the wisdome of his word teacheth vs to put away our childish folly youthfull lusts and works of darknesse then the which for the time we knew no better we do with a holy detestation come out of our filthie Sodome euen as Ephraim when she repented of Idolatry which she had so entirely loued expressed it thus saying What haue I to do with Idols And how doth God worke this mightie change in men Surely by perswading them that they gaine an hundred to one thereby that I say no more the Prophet making good my words to the full when he saith One day in thy courts O Lord is better then a thousand elsewhere And though this be not seene with bodily eye yet it is perceiued by a farre more cleere and vndoubted testimonie then if it were seene while it is receiued by faith and beleeued Oh! he that is perswaded of this doth with the Apostles forsake all and follow Christ in waiting till that hundred fold in Saint Matthew promised be accomplished and enioyed And what maruell that we may be thus drawne by such strong perswasions as God vseth in his Gospell euery where when we reade in humane authors that rude and barbarous people were brought to great matters euen ciuilitie and to good order by the perswasion of eloquent men There was a time saith Tulli● when men wandered vp and downe in woods and fields without any dwelling as the beasts do but by the wisdome and eloquence of some they were perswaded to fellowship and were drawne to haue habitation in cities and villages And may not the most mightie perswasions of the almightie much more draw such as haue been blindfolded with error and delusions from their vncleane conuersation to that which is holy and from bondage to Satan to beleeue in the liuing God Obiect Neither let any obiect and say that it is a small matter to be drawne by perswasion to beleeue the Gospel and worship God according to it when we see that Papists can draw people to their religion by perswasion Answ To the which I answere they can perswaded to their religion indeed so can the euer to their fellowship and companie and adulterers draw women to their lure thereby But we are not so much to stand vpon this that they be able to perswade as to consider what it is whereto they perswade For who doubteth but that men may easily be perswaded to that which is agreeable to their nature and suting with their desire as these whom I haue mentioned and such like For they are all done by the working of Satan in all power and signes and lying wonders and in all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse among them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued Therefore God sendeth them strong delusions that they should beleeue lyes that all they may be damned which beleeue not the truth but haue pleasure in vnrighteousnes But to be perswaded of the truth of that which is against our nature and liking so that thereby wee beleeue it and to cast away the pleasures of sinne and ieopard our soules vppon the doctrine that is taught vs this I say is another matter then bare perswasion from what ground soeuer it come And this is the heauenly worke of the holy Ghost which mouing and leading vs shal wel shew it selfe to be so indeed This being so we may gather necessarily hereby that the sound plaine and powerful preaching of the Gospell whereby onely through the worke of grace we may be perswaded to turne to God aright is a most blessed gift of God and therefore that it is no marueile that he hath appointed that rather then other meanes to soe excellent an end But here I must adde this because many euen of the priuate sort of men who haue been happily trained vp vnder a good ministery can discerne and do complaine that this holy ordinance of God I meane the publishing of the Gospel is taken in hande of sundrie Ministers who are vtterly vnfit for it and the duty thereof is discharged in much vnreuerence and nothing beseeming the worthines of it if this be not better looked vnto by such as haue authoritie in this behalfe I see not how it can be had in such honour as is due vnto it neither yeeld the fruite that otherwise it promiseth For

know that all such prosperings and iollities in persons whom God hath branded with the marke of infamie and miserie should be taken for more apparent tokens of cursednesse if they can be lustie and ioe and when God calleth to mourning and heauinesse Answ For so the Lord speaketh to such Clense your hands ye sinners and purge your hearts ye wauering minded suffer afflictions and sorrow ye and weepe ye let your laughing be turned into mourning and your ioy into heauinesse Would not any count him twise miserable who being led to execution should call his companions to laughing and drinking So he shewes his cursed estate manifestly to the world when he glorieth and walketh securely vnder the state of condemnation Obiect If ye say God would neuer forbeare him if he were accursed but would cause it to breake foorth by sicknesse diseases penurie and other calamities Answ To that I answere that it is the long suffering of the Lord and his speciall dispensation towards such in that hee doth forbeare them whereas he might iustly do all that and much more vnto them and this he doth both that they might thereby be brought to repentance and also for that if he should so pursue sinners as they do giue him occasion and prouoke him to do there should scarcely any be left to continue the generation of mankind in Church and Common-wealth But concerning this I may iustly complaine as the Prophet did in his time and say Lord who hath beleeued our report For to speake as the truth is who beleeueth this or careth for it that the wrath of God hangeth ouer the chidren of disobedience especially who applieth it to himselfe Oh the senselesse blockishnesse of man who passeth ouer these matters so slightly which are most weightie If he be told but once of a shrewd turne that is comming towards him in his cattell or goods hee beleeueth and preuenteth it with all speed possible But an hundred warnings of this spiritual danger maketh him nothing at all to beleeue it or if he do he dare expostulate and dispute with God that he is too seuere against man for so smal a matter whose boldnes is to be beaten downe as it were with mallets and hammers that so the conscience may be bruised rather then the whole person be rent in pieces as of a lion while there is none to deliuer him And because I know the feareful danger of vnbeleefe and that it shaketh off the wholesomest instruction I will heere stay a while and labour to perswade such into whose hands this shall come to beleeue and tremble at least for so much the diuels do and then to search better into themselues and try what depth of euill is in them and so turne againe vnto the Lord. To this end let them weigh duely what the Apostle writeth to them that are contentious and disobey the truth and obey vnrighteousnesse shall be indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish shall be vpon the soule of euery one that doth euill but to euery one that doth good shall be glorie honor and peace If the Lord say anguish shall be to such how are they blindfolded and hardened who stand against him and say it shall not be so Our Sauiour Christ saith to the like purpose He that beleeueth in him shall not be condemned but he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie as if he should say euen while he liueth in this estate of vnbeleefe he is condemned and when he dieth in the same estate it shall be executed vpon him Obiect If any will obiect but what if he repent before Answ I say then the case is altered that is the thing we looke for and desire to heare of such as I speake of but there are few of them that are hastie to propound that question as purposing to make triall of it for then they should remoue the wo farre from them and be deliuered out of the cursed estate that they were in Besides there are reasons forcible enough to draw them vpon their knees and to beleeue that it is no lesse then is told them and preached vnto them One is this that sundrie of them who haue been as farre off as they haue yet bin brought to change their iudgements and forsake their former boldnes which nothing but vnbeliefe had bred in them which is a strong motiue to appale them that shall heare of it Secondly they who liue heere in despaire doe feele it and that the wrath of God is so heauie vpon them to oppresse their soule that they cannot cast it off Thirdly the damned haue found it to be so without recouerie And lastly now is their time to whom I speake to preuent it or else it is most like that they shall go take part with the damned in it And if this curse and wo pronounced vpon them reached but to the end of this present life or were afterward but a losing and forgoing of the kingdome of heauen it were somewhat and yet who would let go his part in that for a whole world but when it accompanieth damnation and the casting of them into vtter darknes where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth for euer how terrible and intollerable is it to thinke of To see one to bee but famished to death by hanging in chaines is able to make a stonie heart to quake and tremble and what is it then to be tormented with paine more grieuous then any death and yet neuer to be dead Wherefore I conclude that if such woe be pronounced by our Sauiour Christ to them that profit not by his workes the greatest whereof is the sincere preaching of the Gospell and if it be impossible that Christ should lie I conclude I say that they in our age are in an high degree of miserie not onely which contemne this ordinance of God but who giue not all diligence thereto that they may make their calling and election sure thereby THE SECOND SERMON VPON THE SAME TEXT NOw followeth the first point in the second part and that is if many did enioy the meanes of their saluation which some others doe they would vndoubtedly repent Euen as our Lord Iesus saith heere If the great workes which haue been done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they had repented c. Heere we must not make Christs words a stumbling blocke as though he meant to set himselfe against his owne word which saith that no reprobates such as Tyre and Sidon most dissolute cities were can be conuerted but we must looke to his meaning which was this that as many heathenish cities of the Gentiles were conuerted by Pauls preaching Christ to them as Thessalonica Philippos Corinth with many other were so is it as likely that these heere mentioned might haue done which if they had done then should they not haue bin reprobates for Christ speaketh by supposition euen