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
A77498	The drinking of the bitter cup: or, The hardest lesson in Christ's school, learned and taught by himself, passive obedience. Wherein, besides divers doctrinall truths of great importance, many practicall directions are held forth, for the teaching of Christians how to submit to their heavenly father in suffering his will, both in life and death, patiently, obediently, willingly. / As it was lately presented to the church of God at Great Yarmouth, by John Brinsley, minister of the Gospel there.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1660 (1660)	Wing B4713; Thomason E1838_1; ESTC R210133	201,893	311

Exod. 15.24 and so against God in him as Moses tells them Exod. 16.7 and the Lord himself interprets it Numb 14.29 And the like they did upon other occasions as in the want of bread Exod. 16.2 Thus did they murmure in the Wildernesse And the like are the best of Gods Saints subject to If God bring them to the waters of Marah bitter waters giving them some bitter Cup to drink exercising them with some sharp afflictious their gestures their speeches their actions are too ready to bewray the secret discontents and impatience of their spirits Those instances of Eliah Jeremy Job Jonah are all obvious All eminent servants of God and yet how were they surprized with this distemper Now O Lord take away my life for I am not better then my Fathers saith Eliah in the Wildernesse 1 King 19.4 Why is my pain perpetuall and my wound incurable which refuseth to be healed Wilt thou be unto me altogether as a Lyar or as waters that fail saith Jeremy to his God in a distempered Passion Jer. 15.18 And again O Lord thou hast deceived me and I was deceived thou art stronger then I and hast prevailed I am in derision daily every one mocketh me cap. 20.7 And again v. 14. Cursed be the day wherein I was born let not the day wherein my Mother bare me be blessed and so he goeth on to the end of the Chapter in a great deal of passionate language bewraying a strange distemper that was upon him by reason of the contempt and treachery and ill use which he met with And the like we finde in Job Though looked upon and that deservedly as a pattern of patience yet we may hear him venting his Passion in the like language cap. 3. where from the 3d verse to the 16th he spends himself in such passionate expressions Let the day be darknesse wherein I was born c. And so Jonah when his gourd was withered and the Sun lay hot upon his head he breaks forth in Passion not sparing to tell God to his face that he did well to be angry even unto death Jon. 4.9 Strange distempers to be found in sanctified hearts Is it so that any of us have found or at any time shall finde any spice hereof in our selves as who can say he is free take we the reproof to our selves taking notice that it was far otherwise with our blessed Saviour our heavenly pattern Though his Cup was a bitterer Cup then ever any man upon earth tasted yet we finde him far from murmuring or repining when he was to drink it There are yet a third sort who drink this Cup Sort 3 but they faint in the drinking of it Such as faint un●● afflictions As the first sort make their sufferings too light so these make them too heavy their spirits drooping and sinking under their burdens A weaknesse very incident even to Gods own people yea to the best of them It is that which Jeremy saith of himself Jer. 8.18 When I would comfort my self against sorrow my heart is faint in me And the like we may hear from the Church in her Captivity Lam. 1. last My sighes are many and my heart is faint Such deliquiums such despondencies and faintings the strongest of Saints as I said are subject to It is that which David saith of himself when he was in some eminent danger My soul is bowed down viz. through fear Psal 57.6 and elsewhere being pursued by his implacable enemy King Saul hunted as a Partridge in the Mountains as himself expresseth it we finde him giving up himself for a lost man He said in his heart I shall now perish by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 An infirmity arising partly from the weaknesse of nature An Infirmity from whence arising which contributes much to these despondencies but chiefly from the weaknesse of grace If thou faint in the day of Adversity thy strength is small saith the Wiseman Prov. 24.10 thy spiritual strength it argues Faith to be weak This it is which supporteth and beareth up the spirit under afflictions keepeth it from fainting I had fainted saith David unlesse I bad believed to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the living Psal 27.13 Faith in God believing his Promises and resting upon his power mercy truth it boyeth up the soul keepeth the head above water Where Faith faileth no wonder if the heart fainteth And it is often helped forwards by looking upon afflictions through false Glasses which represent them greater then they are As also by neglecting or refusing means of Consolation and comfort As it is said of Rachel the Benjamit●sh women descended from Rachel when her children were carried into Captivity she w●pt saith the Text and would not be comforted because they were not Mat. 2.18 Thus it is sometimes when God withdraws one blessing men overlook all others they enjoy and will take no comfort in them Like Children who if one of their toyes be taken from them they presently throw away all the rest But from what ground soever it ariseth or by what means soever it is procured or promoted it is a weaknesse and that such a one as deserves a just Reprehension It was not so with our blessed Saviour Never was there Cup like this Cup which he was now to drink yet behold here how he beareth up under it betaking himself to his suffering work with a holy and steadfast resolution The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it Thus much by way of Reprehension From which passe we in the second place to that which I principally aim at Vse 2 Exhortation to follow this Pattern Exhortation Where let me set this pattern before you propounding it for your imitation exciting and stirring up all who professe themselves the Disciples of Jesus Christ that herein they would endeavour to shew themselves conformable to this their Head Conformity to Christ is that which God hath predestinated all his Elect people to So the Apostle infoms us Rom. 8.29 Whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son to be made like him and that as in glory so in grace Now as we desire the former have we an eye to the latter see that we imitate Christ in what was imitable in him following his steps So suffering as Christ did Which do we as in his Active so in his Passive Obedience so drinking those Cups which our heavenly Father shall give unto us as he here did this which was given to him not despising of not murmuring at not fainting under whatever Afflictions and Chastisements God shall please to exercise us with but bearing and suffering them patiently obediently willingly Every of which particulars give me leave to spend a little time upon The three former whereof are Negatives shewing us what we are not to doe the three latter Positives shewing us what we are to doe Begin with the former the

a measure of mercy proportioning them to their strength that strength of grace which they have or which he giveth them And will you know why he dealeth with them after this manner Reas God correcteth his people this he doth in as much as he correcteth them in love for their profit 1. In love Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth Heb. 12.5 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten In love Rev. 3.19 Hence is it that naturall Parents correct their children not out of hatred but love And so doth the Lord his children Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth even as the Father the Son in whom he delighteth Prov. 3.12 And thus correcting them out of love and good will which he beareth them he dealeth with them in such a way of mercy proportioning their sufferings not to their desert but their strength 2. And doing it out of love he doth it for their profit For their profit In this the Apostle sheweth how the heavenly Father differs from some earthly Parents Heb. 12.10 They verily for a few dayes chasten us after their own pleasure but he for our profit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for our spirituall advantage and benefit That we might be partakers of his holinesse Even as the Physician intending the health of his Patient he orders his Potions in that manner proportioning them to his strength But I shall no longer dwell upon Doctrinall illustration Bring we it home by way of Application Where let me in the first place serve in this Cup as a Cup of consolation Applic. A Cup of consolation to Gods people a ground of comfort to all the Saints and servants of God What doth God their heavenly Father thus measure out their sufferings unto them then let not them fear That is the use which the Lord himself maketh of it in that Text forenamed Jer. 46. last Fear not O Jacob my servant saith the Lord c. I will not make a full end of thee but I will correct thee in measure And such use let all the Sons of Sion all true Israelites make of it However God may correct and punish them for their sins which he will do as soon or sooner then any other You only have I known of all the Families of the earth therefore you will I punish for all your iniquities saith the Lord to Israel Amos 3.2 I will not leave thee wholly unpunished saith the former Text yet here is the comfort he will not punish them as he punisheth others Hath he smitten them as he smote those that smote him Isa 27.8 He will correct them in measure with judgement with a wise and mercifull moderation Which let it serve to byace and bear up the hearts and spirits of the sons and daughters of Affliction under whatever sufferings Which be they never so many never so grievous of never so long continuance yet let them know it is but their Cup the portion which God in wisdome and mercy hach measured out unto them And O that all the Lords people were but fully perswaded of the truth hereof that all their afflictions are thus dispenced to them How patient how contented how chearfull how thankfull would it make them under whatever suffering What is the reason that the hearts of men are so subject to melt and faint under afflictions Surely one chief cause of this deliquium this soul-fainting is unbelief Men are not fully perswaded that there is such an over-ruling hand of Providence in the ordering and disposing of them that they are thus measured out for the breadth the length the greatness and the continuance of them they look upon them as happening to them by chance or fortune Which while they doe no wonder if they sink under their burden But so let not Gods children look upon their sufferings Whatever they be let them look upon them under this notion as their Cup their portion measured out unto them And that by a measure of mercy There is the consolation The punishments of wicked men are measured out too they also have their cup. But it is by a measure of justice proportioning them to their sins But the sufferings of Gods people are measured out by a measure of mercy proportioned to their strength And what a support may this be unto them if rightly considered under whatever afflictions Be they what they will they shall not exceed their strength the strength which they have or that which God will supply unto them For this the Apostle is bold to engage Gods Fidelity in that forecited Text 1 Cor. 10.13 God is Faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able And what an incouragement is here Of all discouragements there is none greater to a Christian in his suffering condition then the apprehension of his own weaknesse want of strength to undergoe what he feeleth or feareth What is my strength saith Job that I should hope Is my strength the strength of stones or is my flesh of brosse Job 6.11 12. O saith the poor soul had I but strength to bear my burden were it never so heavy I should be contented with it but my burden is great and my strength little How then shall I but faint in the day of adversity as the wise man hath it Prov. 24.10 But let not this discourage any true Believer Thou wantest strength alas who doth not When as such a tall Cedar as that blessed Apostle was should be pressed beyond strength with the apprehension of an imminent danger how should such Shrubs as thou and I ever look to hold up head if we look at our own strength I but remember to whose strength it is that God proportioneth the sufferings of his children it is not their strength but his own strength Christians are much deceived when they look upon themselves for strength either to do or suffer any thing No this is a condition on Gods part not ours A comfortable meditation Gods Covenant with his people to give them strength as to doe so to suffer his will When God entreth into Covenant with his people the Covenant of grace they covenant with him to be willing to doe and to suffer what he shall require and impose so to be at his ordering and disposing both as to their active and passive obedience This is the condition on their parts But on the other part God graciously covenanteth with them to give unto them strength to doe what he commandeth That is the condition on Gods part As when he sends Moses upon that Embassage to Pharaoh Moses yields his service but God covenanteth with him to inable him for it Certainly I will be with thee Exod. 3.12 as to protect so to direct and inable thee So is it in Passive Obedience So long as Gods people are willing to suffer what he shall impose he will be with them When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee Isai 43.2 so is God with his