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
A30582	Gospel remission, or, A treatise shewing that true blessedness consists in pardon of sin wherein is discovered the many Gospel mysteries therein contained, the glorious effects proceeding from it, the great mistakes made about it, the true signs and symptomes of it, the way and means to obtain it / by Jeremiah Burroughs ; being several sermons preached immediately after those of The evil of sin by the same author, and now published by Philip Nye ... [et al.]	Burroughs, Jeremiah, 1599-1646.; Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672.	1668 (1668)	Wing B6081; ESTC R4316	194,926	239

the grace of the Gospel that thus objectest it is another manner of thing than thou art aware of there is not that malignity in the grace of the Gospel to cause such effects in the hearts of believers Luther compares sin to Lime and the law to Water that makes the Lime hotter but the grace of the Gospel says he is like to Oyl and Oyl will quench Lime but Water will not so the Oyl of the Gospel will quench the sins of men and certainly the more there is of the grace of God revealed in the Gospel the more the lusts remaining in the heart of a believer come to be quenched this is an evident Argument of the great difference between the mercy of God revealed in the Gospel and received by faith and that which is received only in a natural way you that are unbelievers and receives the Gospel only in a natural way your lusts may be nourished and you may take liberty for wickedness But if once you come to receive the mercy of God in and through Christ Jesus then that mercy will be the greatest opposer of thy lusts and sin as any thing can be in the world certainly thou know'st not the work of God in Christ forgiving sin that reason'st thus I shall shew you plainly The knowledge of the great work of the Propitiation by Christ brings the soul into a hatred of all sin and is no nourisher of it 1 Joh. 1.9 the Apostle speaks of the wonderful grace of God in Christ to us If we confess our sins he is not only ready to forgive but to cleanse us from them And chap. 2.1 My little children I write unto you that you sin not that you take not liberty in any sin they might say you write these things that we sin not but we have sinful natures and so shall certainly fall into sin for all this Well for the comfort of Saints If any man sin says he we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ is presently an Advocate though you sin through ignorance and negligence and do not renew present acts of faith to sue out a pardon yet says the Holy Ghost Jesus Christ is an Advocate with the Father the Lord Christ stands before the Father pleading that no evil may befal you for your sin this is the admirable priviledge of the Saints of God a most blessed priviledge they have by the Covenant of Grace that when they commit a sin and may be take no notice and may be Conscience is so benum'd at present that they go not to God to seek a pardon but may be lie in sin a long time together yet says the Text you have one that pleads your cause and it is from hence that Gods wrath comes not out against you because you have an Advocate with the Father Well says the 2d vers And he is the Propitiation not only for our sins but the sins of the whole world he means believers Now in the third vers says he Hereby we know that we know him If we keep his Commandements as if he had said If we do not take heed of sin and keep his Commandements we know not this grace of pardon if any that here us Ministers teach this Doctrine and say they know him and have no care to keep Gods Commandements 't is quite contrary to what the Apostle says he says Hereby we know that we know him if we keep his Commandements this knowing of him as it is a means to keep his Commandements so 't is an argument we do know him when we do keep his Commandements vers 4. He that says I know him that is Christ to be a Propitiation and an Advocate and keeps not his Commandements is a liar and the truth is not in him That man that reasons thus and says Well I believe in Jesus Christ and I know my sins are pardoned through faith in him yea and all the sins that shall be committed a pardon is laid in for them and I shall never enter into condemnation Dost thou say so and yet keep'st not Gods Commandements Hast not thou the Conscience and the rather upon the knowledge of this to keep Gods Commandements the Holy Ghost says Thou art a lyar and there is no truth in thee and thou wer 't never acquainted with this mystery of godliness when it is understood in a natural way men may abuse it you may know what I mean by a natural way and God knows you have need of Information by a natural way I mean by the light of Natural Reason and all other helps of learning on this side the work of the Holy Ghost but when men understand it by a powerful work of the Holy Ghost they that know it thus this knowledge will make them more careful and conscionable to keep Gods Commandements and if any man say he knows it thus and does not keep Gods Commandements he is a liar and the truth is not in him Further If a man should reason thus Well if there be such a mystery in pardon of sin and that God when he pardons sin at first lays in a pardon for all sin afterward this will make way for more sin Take notice here of the infinite perverseness of the heart of man suppose it were not thus but the contrary were true that God indeed pardoned the sins of a believer coming to him but if ever he sin after pardon let him look to it he shall then be under the sentence of death and condemnation upon this a mans heart would not be more ingaged to seek after Christ but would reason thus Well I may labour and take pains and suffer much to get a comfortable assurance of the pardon of sin but what of all this the next day the next hour I may sin again and be in the same case I was before so that which way soever things go men will reason against God for their lusts I shall put it to you or to any heart that may be supposed to have attended on God yea and hath received grace Which of these Doctrines ingage the heart most for God either this Doctrine or the other whether that you believing that God will pardon sin yet if you fall into any new sin you are under a sentence of condemnation or thus that God is so gracious that he not only pardons sin for present but for your incouragement he so pardons it that though you through infirmity fall again into sin he will not out off his kindness from you Which of these is the greater incouragement certainly to a slavish spirit the one may be more than the other But to a spirit that may be supposed to have any ingenuity in it the latter words must needs far more ingage him to walk with God all his days What is Gods grace so free that he should have such pity on poor creatures not only at their first coming in and casting themselves on Christ as to pardon all their sins

and he comes on purpose to enlighten you in this great point and to witness this great Truth unto you Heb. 10.15 Whereof the Holy Ghost is a witness for after that he had said before this is the Covenant that I will make c. vers 17. Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more as the Principal part of the Covenant and of this the Holy Ghost is a witness This great Truth of the forgiveness of Sins the Holy Ghost comes to bear witness of and seal this to thy Soul that thy sins are forgiven this is the great work of the Holy Ghost after believing to seal up the forgiveness of sin and this is one great reason why the Holy Ghost hath the Title of Comforter because as he comes to convince of sin so also to witness and seal up forgiveness of sin to the soul And indeed as it shews the excellency of the mercy of forgiveness because the Holy Ghost is so much in it so the greatness of it that must have so high a Person to witness it and indeed the Soul is not satisfied until it have this special witness of the Holy Ghost 't is true there may be probable arguments drawn by signs of Gods love unto us and the Holy Ghost may come in those signs but besides that there is the immediate witness of the Holy Ghost to limit him to witness by signs only is more than any man can have warrant for and this I say further that all the signs of Gods favour that we can have will not satisfie the soul until there be this special work of the Holy Ghost sealing and witnessing the favour of God unto us 1 Joh. 3. there are many signs of Gods favour in that Chapter Vers 9. He that is born of God doth not commit sin And Vers 19. Hereby we know we are of the Truth and shall assure our hearts before him and he that keepeth his Commandemen●s dwelleth in him and he in him that 's another sign and Vers 24 but the conclusion of all is this Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us it is the Holy Ghost must convince satisfie the soul of Gods love many there are that would fain have their sins pardoned and would fain have some signs of it and perhaps I may hereafter give some signs But now know that all the signs in the world will not serve to quiet the heart but that it may return again to its former doubts till God come to pacifie the spirit by the witness of the Holy Ghost for it is so great a matter where once the Soul understands the infinite breach made between God and it by sin that it must needs be more than an ordinary work to assure the Soul of Gods Reconciliation to it and nothing can do it satisfactorily but the Holy Ghost he must come to the Soul to assure it of this thing perhaps the case of a poor Soul is thus Suppose a Prisoner in Goal lies bound in fetters for some great offence against his Prince and some friend comes and tells him there is hope of pardon Oh says he 't is too good news to be true well another comes to the grate of the Prison and tells that he hears from the Court the King hath sealed Pardons and put such a ones name in this is some comfort but yet this frees him not from fears and doubtings But now suppose the Favourite of the Prince come from the King himself one that is of the Kings Bed-chamber and one to whom the King opens his whole soul and nothin●●he King doth but he is acquainted with it he comes to this poor man and bids him be of good comfort I come from the King and bring you a Pardon from him shews it him and says there it is take it Oh this revives his spirit when such a special Messenger is sent unto him so in this case I may compare all signs to be like some friend or other that goes by the grate and speaks of the happiness of such a man that he is pardoned but the soul is under such blindness and fears by reason of the guilt of sin that God knows it is no easie matter to perswade it of pardon But now God for the comfort of those that he intends good will unto sends his own Spirit that lies in his own bosom and knows all his secrets to declare the mind of God and to say to such a soul Peace be to thee thy sins are forgiven now this satisfies the soul But it may be here objected How may I know it is the Spirit of God that witnesses and not my own fancies or delusions of Satan I answer as we know the Sun by its own light so we may know the Spirit by its own testimony and though there be may some ebbs yet it will rise again there is such a witnessing work of the Spirit by a kind of sweet and secret intercourse between God and the Soul whereby God over-powers all doubts and fears though I do not say every one hath it in a like sensible measure yet this I say when this full assurance comes although there may be doubts and many questions before in the soul for fear of being deluded for certainly many are deceived and deluded yet then the Spirit over-powers all doubts and fears and witnesses to the Soul it s own work Do not you say because some are deluded with fancies that there is no witness of the Spirit when as there is scarce any point in the Gospel the Scripture speaks more about than this of the witness of the Spirit indeed they that judge of the mysteries of the Gospel by Humane Reason and understand no further than that reaches too and that are little acquainted with those converses that are between God and a believing Soul they may slight this witness of the Spirit but you must know there is not any Soul that has assurance he shall go to Heaven but it is wrought on by a high supernatural and mysterious way and if there were no other way to evidence this to the Soul but by some signs this would be no higher evidence than by way of reason But we are to know as great is the mystery of godliness God manifested in the flesh so also great is the mystery of godliness God justified in the Spirit God justified in the Spirit is a great mystery Christs Incarnation is a great mystery so is a Believers Justification as well as Christs Incarnation so also the witness of Justification is a great mystery and therefore I beseech you look up higher than for such signs as Reason may reach unto and beg of God to reveal this unto you that thou may'st have the witness of the Spirit of God to testifie unto thee that thy sins are pardoned Now blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven seeing God the Father Son and Holy Ghost is so much in it CHAP. VIII

they be not made so sensible to you and therefore soul take hold of that which you can see or feel and be assured the other are there though they are not seen if thou can'st take hold of one linck of a chain and all the other be fastened to it thou may'st be able to draw the whole chain unto thee for by taking hold of one link thou takest hold of the whole though thou touchest not the other so in the work of Gods graces they are as a link united to one another and if you can lay hold of one link you may be assured of the other although you see them not it is with many in this point as it is with some ignorant man the Physitian tells him he must take such a thing that must have these and these ingredients in it and when the Apothecary has mingled all it may be but one of these things can be seen in the colour and outward appearance perhaps some one syrup may take up all the colour in the outward part and when it is brought to him says he I must have so many Ingredients in it and I see but one I but though you see but one yet there may be the efficacy of all in it though but one give the colour so it is with the graces of Gods Spirit though at the present some one appears yet there may be the efficacy and power of them all in the soul though there appear but one perhaps it is in this case as among many ingredients you can see and tast but one yet there may be the power of twenty there though neither seen nor tasted so it is with the work of God in the soul sometimes it may be that there is but one grace to be seen tasted or felt and yet where that one is there are all the other so that that is one rule when you look for Evidences and Signs if you can find but one in your souls all are there as it is in sin where one sin hath Dominion over the soul though the others be not seen yet we are to know that other sins have dominion over the soul too though some men live under the slavery of one sin more than another as one man under the power of Covetousness another under the power of Ambition or any other sin this man may be thought to be under the power of but one sin but the truth is he is a slave to all sin every natural man that is out of Christ is under the power of every sin he is a slave to the Devil in every sin but by reason of the constitution of his body and for some outward respects he may refrain from some particular sins that do not so well suit with him whereas if it would serve for his own ends and purposes he could as well commit any sin as that one this is a certain truth Whosoever makes not Conscience of every sin he makes Conscience of none though he refrain from the practice of some others it is not out of Conscience but for by-ends therefore he that is under the power of one sin is under the power of every sin Many think all men are sinners and for their parts they have but a few such a sin I cannot leave but I am free from all others Dost thou keep from all sin but one God will find thee under the power of every sin and God will charge thee at the Tribunal as under the power of all sin so now on the contrary Gods people are mightily troubled that they cannot find the work of Gods graces in all of them such an one they find but they want it in another because it is not so evidently stirring as the other but as the truth is certain on one side of the wicked so it 's true on the other side of the godly that where there is one sin there is every sin so where there is one grace there is all grace there is the power of godliness in every grace where there 's one grace that is the first rule to help us in making use of the Evidences before given The Second rule is this When ever we have found any one Evidence upon serious examination in the presence of God and now it appears not positively to the contrary at the present but thou art meerly dubious of those things that heretofore thou hast felt because thou dost not feel them now in this case we may and should have recourse to what God has wrought heretofore and build upon the former workings of Gods Spirit upon us true it is when we come to give Evidences in our Ministry of those that have grace we may meet at such a time with them as that they have sense of nothing and in such a condition as that they are not able to know their own hearts nor feel any workings upon them Now if it be meerly from want of sense and that the contrary positive evil appear not but only the want of feeling of what thou had'st and felt heretofore thou art to have recourse to the days of old as David often speaks that he would remember the days of old it may be you will say some Hypocrites have thought they have been in this condition they have had many slashes and yet they have proved naught how can we have recourse to what was before when God did work upon me I can indeed remember when God did draw my heart and then I thought I could have closed with any Evidence out of the Word I felt such workings in my heart but I might do all that and yet all be but in hypocrisie I answer that certainly the bare want of sense is not ground enough for me to think that all was in hypocrisie for this consider if I groan under it as under an affliction and would fain feel those former manifestations I had formerly and that I can take little comfort in my present case and that my soul is continually longing and panting after the workings of Gods grace that I heretofore had if this be so and that there is nothing to the contrary thou fallest not off to sin or to the world to satisfie thy soul in sinful ways and that thy heart is yet panting after God if it be thus with thee thou may'st take the comfort of what thou had'st before and feed upon it as Provision laid up before hand for thy soul as if thou had'st it present But Hypocrites that fall off from the visitations of Gods Spirit they fall not off only to a want of sense of those former movings and workings of the Spirit but their hearts come to be satisfied with something else and they take up with some other contentments and 't is not a want of feeling only of what they had heretofore but their hearts run out from God into other ways of sin and wickedness so it is with Hypocrites but thou hast this testimony that it is not so with