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	faith_n	justify_v	5,380	5	8.8463	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09990	The nevv covenant, or the saints portion A treatise vnfolding the all-sufficiencie of God, and mans uprightnes, and the covenant of grace. delivered in fourteene sermons vpon Gen. 17. 1. 2. Wherevnto are adioyned foure sermons vpon Eccles. 9.1. 2. 11. 12. By the late faithfull and worthie minister of Iesus Christ Iohn Preston. Dr. in Divinitie, chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiestie, maister of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670.	1629 (1629)	STC 20241; ESTC S101919	353,487	626

teach you and instruct you to mortifie your lusts and shall make you partakers of his Kingdome he shall make you heyres and sonnes this is a very great promise can you beleeue this If a man will but beleeue GOD now I say it makes him partaker of the Couenant this puts him within the Couenant you will say this is very strange how can it be that so small a condition as this that to bel●eue should make a man partaker of the Couenant that vpon which all the promises hang initially is nothing but beleeuing You see Abraham did no more but beleeue GOD when hee told him hee should haue a sonne you see how much GOD made of that So it is with vs if we doe but beleeue this God will make as much of it he will make good all the promises of the Couenant to vs But I say this hath need of a reason why it is suspended onely vpon faith and beliefe the reason is this marke it well it is a point of exceeding great moment First though there were nothing but faith yet that beleeuing brings with it and workes sanctification and holinesse of life for whereas you might object May a man beleeue this promise and yet walke according to the lusts of his owne ignorance and so to be made partaker of the Couenant Let him if he can beleeue truly and doe this but it is impossible let him beleeue and the other will follow Behold Abraham himselfe to giue you an instance of it he beleeued GOD and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse I say it was enough for him to beleeue GOD For that drawes after it inherent righteousnesse of sanctification and holinesse of life for saith the Text Rom. 4. Abraham is said to beleeue GOD when hee said he should haue a sonne he gaue him glory that is the ground which drawes with it all other graces after this manner he that beleeues GOD hath a good opinion of him hee loues him hee that loues him must needs be full of good workes Besides he that beleeues him when GOD shall say to him I am thy exceeding great reward see that thou keepe close to mee thou shalt haue an eye vpon mee and walke with mee from day to day Let a man beleeue that GOD is alsufficient that he will be a Sunne and a Shield to him and his exceeding great reward hee will be ready to doe it Abraham did so when God called him from his Fathers house and from his kindred hee was ready to doe so when GOD would haue him to offer vp his onely sonne he was ready to doe it for he beleeued GOD hee beleeued his promise and his ability and willingnesse to helpe him hee beleeued his Almighty power and therefore whatsoeuer GOD bid him doe he would doe it hee preferred GOD before his own ease before his owne profit before his onely sonne whom hee loued Let any man beleeue as Abraham did and of necessity it will produce good workes let a man beleeue truely and truth of beliefe will bring forth truth of holinesse and therefore wee heare what S. Iames saith Iam. 2. saith he Abraham was iustified by faith it is true but saith hee Abrahams faith had workes ioyned with it for it was not a dead a counterfeit faith but a true faith and being a true faith you see Abraham had workes aswell as faith for when GOD bade him offer his sonne he did it Was not that an exceeding great worke saith the Apostle there So say I no wonder that it is by faith that the LORD requires no more but to beleeue for when a man beleeues workes will follow it will breed holinesse of life let him beleeue GOD to bee an exceeding great reward that hee is a Sunne and a Shield he will follow GOD wheresoeuer hee leades him let him beleeue the promise of GOD when he describes himselfe hee must needes haue a good opinion of him and loue him and bee exceeding fruitfull in good workes and obedience to him therefore that is one reason for it A second reason of it is because it could not bee done by obedience to the Law it was impossible to haue made the sonnes of men partakers of the Couenant that way for if it could haue beene done by the Law and by the Commandement it should haue beene but the LORD tryed that in Adam hee gaue Adam a Commandement and ability to keepe it so hee made him perfectly innocent yet Adam did not keepe it Put the case that GOD should haue tryed him the second time and haue giuen him a Commandement againe and not haue required the Condition of faith but of obedience hee would haue broken it as hee did before and therefore it could not bee by the Law Therefore it must needes bee by faith and the promises otherwise it could neuer haue beene sure Adam brake it surely if hee brake it we should haue broken it if it had beene any other way but by faith and therefore wee see what the Apostle saith Galat. 3. 21. Is the Law then against the promise of GOD GOD forbid for if there had beene a Lawe giuen that could haue giuen life surely rig●teousnesse had beene by the Law If Adam had stood and had kept the Law and if men could haue entred into Couenant and haue kept it Christ had beene spared the Couenant of Grace had beene spared if righteousnesse had beene by the Law there had needed no Messiah there had needed no Couenant of Grace and therefore through the infirmity of the flesh Adams flesh that would not keepe the Law and ours that is not able to keepe it there was no other way to make mankind partaker of the Couenant of Grace but onely by faith by beleeuing GOD and by taking the promise and the gift of Righteousnesse through Iesus Christ for it could neuer else in likelihood haue beene sure to the seede This is the way to make it sure when there is no more but an ac●eptation required and not exact obedience to the Commandement Thirdly it is by faith because nothing else can answer the Couenant but faith you see the Couenant is not a Commandement Doe this and liue but the Couenant is a promise I will giue thee It runnes all vpon promises I will giue thee a seed and in that seede thou shalt bee blessed I will giue thee this good Land c. so that the Couenant of Grace stands on GODS part all in promises Now you know that it is faith that answers the promise for the promise is to beleeued if the Couenant had stood in precepts and Commandements and rules of the Law then it must haue beene answered by workes and obedience and therefore it could not be by obedience for that holds not proportion there is not agreement betweene them but since the Couenant consists of promises that must needes bee by beleeuing and not by workes Fourthly and lastly it is by faith because the Lord

easily beleeue a smaller sinne to be forgiven Therefore certainly men doubt of his power whether he be able to forgiue for if the difference of sinne doe cause in you vnbeliefe it could not be that you should pitch vpon the power of God and his readines to forgi●e Therefore it is certaine that it is his power that is called in question and therefore the thing we haue to do is to make this good to you that the Lord is able to forgiue But you will say to me It is true If it were a matter of power I make no question Beloved you shall finde it a matter of power take a man Is it not a matter of strength in him to forgiue to passe by an infirmitie If it be strength in a man to be meeke to forgiue and to passe by iniuries to be kinde to those that be vnkinde to him Is it not also power in God to doe so Besides is it not a power to be rich Riches giue a man a potencie and the Lord is said to be rich in mercy That is As a man that is rich though he giue much yet he is not exhausted So when you haue made thus much vse of Gods mercy yet still there is more behinde still there is more and more mercy for you there is a spring of mercy there is no end of it Besides as there is a power in his wrath Who knowes the power of his wrath so likewise there is a power in his mercy as we see Rom. 9. 22. 23. it is a place worth the considering for this purpose What if God to shew his wrath and to make his power known will suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared for destructiō And the next verse is thus to be read otherwise you cannot make the sence perfect and what if he would also to shew the greatnesse of his power declare the riches of his glory vpon the vessels of mercy that he hath prepared to glory Marke as God shewes the greatnes of his power in executing wrath vpon evill men so he shewes the exceeding greatnesse of his power and declares his glorious riches That is The riches of his mercy vpon the Saints Now as it is hard to finde out the depth of the one so it is to finde out the depth of the other to consider the height the length and bredth and depth of his mercy When a man considers his sinnes and lookes vpon them in the height of them in the bredth and depth of them when he sees a heape of sinne piled vp together reaching vp to the heavens and downe againe to the bottom of hell now to beleeue that the mercy of God is higher then these sinnes and that the depth of his mercy is deeper then they This is to comprehend the length and bredth depth of mercy in him Ephes. 3. This is exceeding hard and a great thing for vs to doe but yet this the Lord is able to doe his mercy is able to swallow them vp and therefore you shall finde this expression in Iames 2. mercy reioyceth against Iudgement As if he should say There is a certaine contention betweene the sins that we commit and the mercy of God though our sinnes oppose his mercy yet his mercy is greater and at length it overcomes them and reioyceth against them as a man reioyceth against an adversary that he hath subdued Therefore herein we must labour to see Gods All-sufficiencie that although our sins be exceeding great yet the largenes of his mercy is able to swallow them vp But you will say to me we could beleeue this if we were qualified but all the difficultie is to beleeue it when we want those qualifications God requires softnesse of heart godly sorrow truth of repentance c. Beloved to this I answer briefly that wha●soever thou seest that discourageth thee that thou seest in thine owne heart when thou reflectest vpon it it is either sinne or emptinesse That is A want of that righteousnes that should be in thee If it be sinne the greatnesse of his mercy is able to swallow it vp And if it be emptinesse know this that he is rich in mercy and All-sufficient able to bestow this riches even vpon nothing you know he did bestow all the glory of the creature on it when it was nothing There was nothing you know when he made the world when he made ●he Angels what was it he bestow●d his riches vpon And is he not able to bestow it on thee though there be an emptines in thine heart Therfore thinke with thy selfe what is the exceeding 〈◊〉 of his loue It was a great loue that moved him to give Christ to vs but after we are in Christ then you must consider this ●hat his loue hath increased to a full object his loue is fully bestowed on him and is derived from Christ to vs. 〈…〉 sinnes yea all the degrees of my sinnes to overcome them and ●ubdue them yet if the fulnesse of his loue that he loues Christ with be derived on me what neede I make question But you will say againe What needs this perswasion of Gods All-sufficiencie in forgiving This is but to open a dore of liberty to make men more loose Beloved it is not so it is the most profitable thing yo● can doe for your owne soules to beleeue his All-sufficiencie in forgiving sinnes as well as his All-sufficiencie in any thing besides therefore we see in Rom. 6. concerning the abounding of grace for so the objection stands where sinne hath abo●nded there grace hath abounded much more If mens sinnes be multiplied grace and mercy shall be multiplied much more and still out-goe and swallow them vp Shall we therefore sinne that grace may abound or because grace hath abounded No sayth the Apostle for the abundance of grace kils sinne for so the consequence stands how shall we that are dead to sinne li●e any longer therein So that his answer stands thus Sayth he the abundance of grace doth not cause men to sinne more for it kils sinne And therefore the more we beleeue this All-sufficiencie in God to forgiue sinne the more sinne is killed in vs it is not enlarged by it life is not given to sinne by it but we are made more dead to sinne by it You will say how can that be Because the beleeving of Gods All-sufficiencie in forgiving our sinnes increaseth our loue and our Ioy. It increaseth our loue for when there is no scruple in our hearts of Gods loue towards vs it makes our loue more perfect towards him It increaseth our joy also because when we haue a full assurance of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes that fils the heart with joy and peace in the holy Ghost Now spirituall loue eates out of the heart all carnall delights all sinfull lusts and all inordinate loue vnto the creature And so likewise spirituall joy takes away

Wheat-haruest 1 Sam. 12 the people feared exceegingly and Ezra 10. when there was an exceeding great raine the people did exceedingly tremble and you know in that Earthquake though all were safe Act. 16. and there was no cause why he should be so vnquiet yet we see how the Goaler was amazed his heart was wounded this was not for these particular Iudgements there might bee a great raine there might be a great Earthquake and thunder in Wheat-haruest and yet mens hearts little moued but there went a spirit of bondage that bred a feare in them this is that I say no man can come to Christ without the Law either in it selfe or in afflictions which are but the executioners of it and these are not effectuall without the spirit of bondage and there is a very great reason for it because otherwise wee should neuer know the loue of Christ he that hath not knowne what the meaning of this spirit of bondage is what these feares are what these terrours of conscience are in some measure knowes not what Christ hath suffered for him or what deliuerance hee hath had by him besides he will not be applyable to Christ But I will not stand more vpon this Hast thou not had the spirit of bondage I say surely if thou hast not t●sted of this Christ hath not sowne the seed of grace in thy heart doth any man sow before he hath plowed doth any man make a new impression before there bee an obl●t●ration of the old Beloued before the hea●t be me●ted w●th 〈◊〉 the spirit of bondage there is no sence of a new spirit to make a new impression vpon it I confesse it is different it is sometimes more sometimes lesse but all haue it more or lesse sometimes the Medicine goes so close with the reuealing of sinne and of Iudgement that it is not so much discerned sometimes againe God meanes to bestow vpon some men a great measure of grace and therfore he giues them a greater measure of the spirit of bondage because God meanes to teach them more to prize Christ he meanes more to baptize them with the baptisme of the Holy Ghost and therefore hee baptizeth them with a greater measure of the spirit of bondage they shall drinke deeper of that spirit because his intention is that they shall drinke deeper of the spirit of Adoption and therefore Christ takes it for an argument concerning the Woman when he saw she loued exceeding much surely she had a great measure of the spirit of bondage she was much wounded for her sinnes there had beene exceeding much forgiuen her in her apprehension and so was Paul exceedingly wounded you know This must goe before The things which goe together with it are these three the testimony of the blood of the water and of our owne spirits First beloued there is the testimony of the blood there are three that beare record in the Earth the spirit the water and the blood though the spirit be set first as it is vsuall amongst the Hebrewes and in the Scriptures to put the last first if a man would know now whether hee be in Christ whether he hath receiued the promised seede or no let him consider first whether hee hath beleeued in the blood that is there is a word of promise that saith thus to vs there is a Sacrifice that is offered there is the blood of the Lambeshed from the beginning of the world and this blood shall wash thee from all thy sinnes when a man stands to consider this promise beloued this promise bath two things in it there is the truth of it and the goodnesse of it a man doth with Abraham beleeue the truth of it he beleeues God and saith it is true I beleeue it but withall there is a goodnesse in it and therefore as the vnderstanding saith it is true so the will saith it is good and therefore he takes it and embraceth it and is exceeding greedy of it for when the spirit of bondage makes a man feare it empties a man of all righteousnesse as a man empties a Caske that there is nothing left in it when it puls away all other props and stayes from it it leaues a man in this case that he sees nothing in the world to saue him but the blood of Christ when a man sees this hee takes fast hold of that he will not let it goe for any thing and though it be told him you shall haue many troubles and crosses you must part with all you haue you shall haue somewhat hereafter but you shall haue little for the present he cares not though it costs him his life so he may ha●e this blood to wash away his sins it is enough this he layes fast hold vpon Beloued when a man doth this at that very houre he is entred into Couenant he is translated from death to life he hath now receiued the promised seede and he shall be blessed for God hath said it and sworne it and it cannot be otherwise and this is the testimony of the blood when a man can say I know I haue taken and applyed the blood of Christ I rest vpon it I beleeue that my sinnes are forgiuen I graspe it I receiue it this is the testimony of the blood Now when a man hath tooke the blood What shall he continue in filthinesse now and walke after the lusts of his former ignorance No the Lord comes not by blood onely but by water also that is by sanctification that is he sends the Spirit of sanctification that cleanseth and washeth his seruants that washeth away not onely the outward filthinesse but the euill nature the swinish nature that they desire no more to wallow in the myre as before for the Lord will not haue a sluttish Church and therefore Eph. 5. he washeth his Church and clenseth it he washeth euery man in the Church from top to toe there is not one place in the soule not one place in the conuersation but it is rensed in this water and then when a man comes to finde this that he hath not onely found the blood of Christ applyed to him by faith but hath found that he hath been able to purifie himselfe and by the worke of Christs Spirit ioyning with him when he goes about to purge himselfe that helpes to cleanse his conscience from dead workes There is the second testimony Now follows the testimony of our own spirits that gathers conclusions from both these and saith thus Since I haue receiued the blood and seeing I am able to purifie my selfe I conclude I am in a good estate I am a partaker of the Couenant if a man could say this truely it is said whosoeuer beleeues shall be saued but I beleeue this is the testimony of the blood onely but when a man can say I doe labour to purifie my selfe I desire nothing in the world so much I doe it in good earnest this is the testimony of the water to

are not led into the truth of these poynts because that is proper to the holy Ghost it is he onely that leades vs into them it is he onely that enableth vs so to see them as to be fully convinced so as to resolue vpon the practice of them and therefore you shall finde the Apostle S. Paul Ephes. 1. when he revealeth there those spirituall blessings that we haue in Christ when he had declared many of those glorious priviledges in the 18. verse he prayes that the eyes of their vnderstandings might be opened to see the hope of their Calling and the riches of this glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints the exceeding greatnesse of his power towardes them that beleeue The meaning of it is this when Paul had discovered all this sayth he this labour of mine will be but in vaine except the Lord open the eyes of your vnderstanding So it is when we preach to you of the All-sufficiencie of God when wee discover to you those glorious priviledges that we haue by Christ except the Lord open mens eyes except he send the spirit of revelation into mens hearts to discerne those things except he preach to the heart as well as we doe to the eare it is but lost labour sayth the Apostle if he would open your eyes to see the hope of your Calling to see those great hopes that you haue by reason of your Calling to see the riches of that glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints it is not onely rich but abundant riches Againe sayth he to see the exceeding greatnesse of his power A man is able to see some thing that God is able to doe this and to doe that but to see the exceeding greatnesse of his power how farre it reacheth this none is able to doe vnlesse he haue the spirit of revelation to open his eyes to see it That even as Elisha sayd to Gehasi● there are more with vs them against vs. But how came Gehasie to know that Elisba prayes the Lord to open his eyes and when his eyes were opened he saw it visibly after this manner the Lord deales with his children when such truths as these are propounded to them that God is All-sufficient yet all this is nothing except God will open their eyes except he will be with them as he was with Iob all that his friends said to him would not perswade him till God himselfe spake to him out of the whirlewinde When God himselfe will say to a man as he did to Abraham I am All-sufficient then he perswades him and not before And this Beloved is the office of the holy Ghost it is he that shewes the Father and the Sonne to the sonnes of men it is he that glorifies the Father and the Sonne And in this sence he is said to fill them with Ioy vpon all occasions for the cause why a man rejoyceth is because he is informed of some good newes something he is perswaded of and when he heareth of it there followes sudden Ioy So when the Apostles were in distres●e in prison when they were in danger the holy Ghost brought good newes to them he revealed to them such and such things vpon this revelation vpon this good newes that was brought to them it is oft said they were filled with Ioy which is therefore called the Ioy of the holy Ghost which the holy Ghost workes in men by perswasion by revealing to them the hope of their Calling and the riches of their glorious inheritance and the exceeding greatnesse of his power working in those that beleeue And therefore this you must cōsider that though we preach to you and you heare all these truths of Gods All-sufficiencie yet you are able to practice nothing till Christ reveale it to you If he come to a man when he is in a strait and say to him as he did to Paul vpon severall occasions feare not Paul I will be with thee I say if he himselfe would come thus and speake to the heart of a man that is if he would reveale it by his spirit wee should be able to practice it we should be able to stay our selues vpon him wee should be able to trust him in his All-sufficiencie and would venture vpon any thing we should be able to doe our dutie wee should be able to suffer persecution as the Apo●●le speakes because we trust in the living God It is a certaine and true rule no man is able to guide his life aright his riches his credit his libertie aright except he be able to neglect them and no man is able to neglect them except he haue some thing that is better in stead of them except he see these two things An emptinesse in them And a fulnesse some where els But now who is able to perswade men of this Surely he that perswaded Salomon that all was vanitie it is he that must perswade vs without him it cannot be done What was the reason else that Peter Andrew Iohn and the rest of the Apostles were able to forsake all things when others were not Doubtlesle because they were per●waded they should finde it againe in Christ when others were not so perswaded flesh and bloud did not teach them but the holy Ghost revealed it to them that though they had lost all yet they should find all yea they should finde an hundred fold more What was the Reason that Demas and others when they met with persecution and temporall preferments in the world were not able to keepe on their course but turned aside when Paul who had the same temtations did not The reason was because it was not revealed to Demas but it was to Paul A window was opened to him in heaven as it were to looke into Gods All-sufficiencie to see the treasures there to see Gods power and eternitie and blessednes and when he walked in a continuall sight of this All-sufficiencie Paul cared not whither he went nor what became of him it was nothing then for him ot passe from prison to prison from affliction to affliction So as long as a man walkes in a continuall sight of Gods All-sufficiencie as long as he sees him that is invisible so long he is full of comfort so long he is able to doe any thing but when once his sight is taken from him when once he is left in darkenesse that Torches and Candles begin to appeare great lights vnto him as you know it is in the darke night that is a signe that a man is in darkenesse when the feare of men and the favour of men seeme great vnto him So it will be when God doth but leaue vs a little when he doth but cloud vs when he withdrawes from vs that light of his All-sufficiencie then we are readie to sinke and to fayle in our dutie and to turne aside to balke the wayes of righteousnesse And therefore if you would haue the vse of this All-sufficiencie if you would be perswaded that all