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	reason_n	7,423	5	5.8303	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18973	Three sermons vpon Marke, the ninth chapter, 22.23. verses Containing fifteene doctrines, the particulars whereof appeare in the next pages following. / By Robert Cleauer.	Cleaver, Robert, 1561 or 2-ca. 1625.	1611 (1611)	STC 5392; ESTC S118642	34,073	58

the proper place of such sinfull rebels as he was 2 Secondly when mens hearts are well fitted for a blessing it becomes a double blessing vnto them For it doth not alone helpe them for their present state but also for their eternall state not onely for this life but for euerlasting life not for the present alone but for euer after they being assured that God is alwaies the same in grace and fauour towards his children Vse 1. Therefore if at any time we desire any blessing or deliuerance for our selues or our friends out of dangers or debts or the like let vs intreate the Lord first of all to applie his medicine to the due place We see it ordinarie with skilfull physitians in the curing of many diseases that though the sicknesse be in the head or in any other part yet they conueigh their physicke into the stomach So let vs beseech the Lord that he will deale with vs or with such as are neere vnto vs that he will beginne his cure in our heart which is the stomacke of the soule which being soundly healed we shall finde not onely the fit staied for the present but the sicknes preuented for afterwards 2 Secondly let the wisedome of Christ in his dealing with this man serue for our imitation Are we minded to doe our neighbours a good turne in outward respects for their bodie or for their estate or for his children let vs in the first place labour as farre as God hath inabled vs to helpe their hearts to increase their repentance to strengthen their faith in Gods promises and prouidence and to minister vnto them spirituall refreshing as well as corporall And thus taking the same course with our friends in their sicknesses and in their distresse as our Sauiour did we may the more comfortably expect a full recompence of our worke from the righteous Iudge of heauen and earth and withall we shall haue this testimonie vnto our soules that we doe not good things in a carnall manner nor for fleshly respects but with an vpright heart and to a right end desiring principally that God may be glorified in the saluation of the parties to whom our beautie and kindnesse is extended 3 Thirdly seeing that the Lord vseth to begin his worke in the hart where he purposeth to vouchsafe any outward blessing in mercie Let this teach vs not to be impatient nor to thinke it too long ere God bestow any benefit vpon vs but let vs rather looke into our selues and suspect our owne preparation and fitnesse to be partakers of any speciall fauour from the Lord. Will not our aduersaries be pacified toward vs nor reconciled vnto vs Let vs examine whether we haue made peace with the Lord and procured his louing countenance to shine vpon vs otherwise we may certainely conclude that all our enemies heate is but a sparke of his displeasure against vs. Are our outward wants necessities many great and of long continuance let vs make triall whether they doe not proceed from want of religion from want of sinceritie before the Lord of a godly and honest conuersation before men haue we great imbecilitie in our bodies and doe we finde a sensible decay of our health let vs search whether the weakenesse of our faith haue not beene the cause of it in that we haue not conscionably vsed the meanes that God hath appointed for the confirming therof and whether we haue not declined in the course of our obedience and beene too well content to feele an inward decay of Gods graces for which Gods hand hath lighted vpon our outward man And if we deale thus we shall be driuen to accuse our selues rather than to murmur against God and so fitting our selues for mercie we shall finde it at his hands in due season and that to our greater comfort then if wee had obtained it sooner If thou canst belieue In that our Sauiour makes a doubt hereof that not without cause the doctrine is that Doct. 2. No man hath faith at commaund It is not in any mans owne power to beleeue when hee will and what hee will and as much as he will Faith is not at mens commaund for if it had beene our Sauiour would neuer haue propounded this question neither would the Disciples haue left the child vncured which now was brought vnto our Sauiour for they were desirous to doe what they could for the honour of their maister for their owne credite and comfort and for the stopping of the mouthes of their bitter aduersaries Now the cause why they could not cast out this diuell was as their Maister tolde them their vnbeliefe not that they were vnwilling to beleeue but that they were vnable to beleeue vnlesse they should haue vsed fasting and prayer for the obtaining of faith which they could not doe And if anie desire a proofe of this point let him read the 17. chapt of Luke where the Apostles hearing our Sauiour deliuer this lesson that if our brother sinne against vs seuen times in a day and seuen times in a day turne againe vnto vs saying it repenteth mee wee must forgiue him they take occasion thereby to pray in this sort Luk. 17. 5. Lord increase our faith Which is in effect as if they had said Lord this is a dutie which is beyond our reach our faith will not extend so farre and therefore Lord sithence thou requirest this at our hands adde vnto that measure of faith which thou hast giuen vs that so wee may be able to performe it Now if they could haue beleeued as much as they would what need had they thus earnestly to desire an increase of their faith Let this then be concluded for a certaine truth that no man is able to attaine to what measure of faith it pleaseth him Neither is this so only at mens first conuersion but afterwards also For their first conuersion there is no doubt but it proceedeth wholie from God and is his meere gift according to that of our Sauiour Iohn 6. None can come vnto mee except the father draw him And that of the Apostle Phil. 1. 19. Vnto you it is giuen for Christ that not onely yee should beleeue in him but also suffer for his sake And as for the state of a Christian after his conuersion it is as plaine that none can exercise his faith in any particular without Gods speciall assistance as may be seene in the example of Abraham who though he had a very excellent faith yet when he came into a forren countrie among a barbarous people it much failed him in that particular that he could not rest vpon Gods power and prouidence for the preseruation of his life but chose rather to expose his wife to danger by saying that she was his sister Otherwise he thought that though they were not so monstrously wicked as many now a daies are as to abuse his wife he being aliue yet they would kill

did the Lorde can quickly cause a great King to be in farre worse case then the basest beggar as indeed hee was being stript of his kingdome of his wittes and of all earthly comforts euen on a sudden when hee litle feared any such matter Sithence therefore the case stands thus that no worldlie preheminence or excellencie can yeelde men that contentment which faith will doe what remaineth but that wee set the highest price vpon that which is of the greatest worth and aboue all things seeke for that which will make vs most happie when wee haue found it 2 Secondly if we desire friends that are able and willing and euery way sufficient to stand vs in steed let vs endeuour to bee in league with such as haue the greatest measure of faith and to make them our chiefest friends who are most godly most faithful people Peter found the benefite hereof Acts 12. he had many mortall aduersaries as Herode and the whole power of the Romanes and the state of the Iewes and what friends had he to stand for him a poore companie of men and women that durst not shewe their heads for feare of their enemies who yet by the force of their prayers preuailed more for him then all the aduerse power could against him for when they spake vnto God in his behalfe neither the prison nor his chaines nor the souldiers nor any power whatsoeuer could keepe him any longer in hold but the Lord sent his Angell and freed him out of the hands of such as hated him and purposed the next day to haue taken his life from him And as the faith of Gods seruants is very mightie for their friēds deliuerāce so is it as effectuall for the ouerthrow of their enemies as may be seene in Haman who soared so high aboue the reach of the Iewes that in all likelyhood none of them could come neere him But whē Hester Mordecai and the rest of the faithfull ioyned together in fasting and prayer their faith pulled him downe vnto the ground and layd all his honour in the very dust Whence it is euident and cleere to those that haue any vnderstanding how needfull and beneficiall a thing it is to haue godly men on our side and and therefore if wee would be esteemed trulie wise let vs ioyne our selues in most inward friendship and familiaritie with them Vse 3. Thirdly if nothing be impossible to beleeuers then is it not impossible for them to maister subdue their strongest corruptions and therefore let not the faithfull bee discouraged though they find themselues as yet very worldly minded very angrie and passionate very vaine-glorious and ambitious c If they will set their faith a worke they shall get victorie ouer these and the like corrupt affections and albeit they haue prayed often against them and yet finde small strength to ouercome them let them not giue ouer the combatte for faith will haue the better in the ende And the like may be said for all manner of crosses it will either make an vtter riddance of them or at least furnish vs with patience and abilitie to vndergoe them Vers 24. And straight-way the father of the childe crying with teares sayd c Hence this doctrine might be noted that Doct. 4. See in Cleauers Sermon on Lament 3. Doct. 1. Faith and godlie sorrow may well goe together for both of these are apparant in this faithfull man and Gods children haue oftentimes and almost continually occasion of this holie griefe in respect of themselues and in respect of Gods Church in respect of corruptions and of afflictions either priuate or publike or both But I will not now insist vpon this point Lord I beleeue Whence ariseth this Doctrine that Doct. 5. Christiās must see acknowledge their graces It is not vnlawfull nor vncomely for a Christian to make profession of his owne graces though imperfect if it be done in due time and manner He may speake of them vnto God or vnto men as occasion is offered So did this man here Lord I beleeue So did Dauid Psal 86. 2. Preserue thou my soule for I am mercifull So did Ezekiah also Isai 38. 3. I beseech thee ô Lord remember now how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and haue done that which is good in thy sight The scripture aboundes with examples of this kinde Reasons But let vs consider of some reasons as namely that 1 First this must be done because it tendes to the magnifying of Gods name whereas the deniall of his graces makes for his dishonour and argues a base account thereof in the parties that haue them 2 Secondly the acknowledgement of the vertues of Christ which we haue is an effectuall meanes to strengthen our faith to comfort our harts to inable vs with feruencie to call vpon the Lord whereas vpon the omission of this dutie all the contrarie effects do follow Vse 1. Here then are Gods deere children to be put in minde of an ordinarie and daungerous fault that is in them which is that in the time of temptation they so farre giue place vnto Sathan as to yeeld that they are hypocrites and that they haue no sauing grace of God in them Indeed they cannot denie but they haue heretofore done many good things but all say they was in vaine-glorie or for some carnall respect or other they must needs confesse that they haue had many comfortable feelings but now they feare al of them were meere illusions What a follie is this what indignitie do we herein offer vnto the holy spirit of grace whereby we are sealed vnto the day of redemption why should we not rather be of Iobs resolution viz neuer to part with our innocencie vprightnes while we liue but though men accuse vs and Sathan assault vs and our owne consciences charge many heauie things vpon vs yet to stand to it vnto the death that our hearts are sincere and faithfull with the Lord our God when by sound proofes and arguments taken from the word wee can confirme so much vnto our owne soules For in truth wee haue farre better reason to stand vpon our spirituall right thē earthly men haue to defend their ciuill right Now if some craftie and subtill aduersarie should come vnto a worldly wise man tell him that all his writings euidences are meere counterfeites and of no worth at al●… and that therefore he is but an Intruder into that which hee possesseth would not hee if hee be able maintaine the goodnes of his euidences and prooue that the seales are authentical that his witnesses are sufficient that all things else doe concurre which may make for the proouing of his title and right in the things which he holdeth Much more then should we stand to make good the Deedes that we haue for our soules and for our assurance of the heauenly inheritance which hath