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	know_v	knowledge_n	3,488	5	6.8962	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19174	The seale of the churches safetie; or A sermon preached at Norwich, the fift of Nouember, 1616 Wherein is opened the sealed assurance of the safetie of the Church, in all times, and estates, meete for all Christians to know, and acknowledge, to the glorie of God, and their owne comfort in life and death. By N. Colt, one of the preachers appointed by publike authoritie for the common-place there.; Seale of the churches safetie.	Colt, Nicholas, d. 1642.	1617 (1617)	STC 5585; ESTC S118542	22,373	96

of God the Sonne and of God the holy Ghost that they equally and ioyntly seuerally infallibly and eternally doe know with which knowledge is ioyned Will Power and Effect how to deliuer the godly out of c. Oh sweet oh precious oh sauing knowledge of the glorious Godhead in Trinitie Vnitie thus concurring thus co-working for the Elects well-fare Now then to this holy God and soueraigne Lord Father Sonne and holy Ghost one and the same God in nature and number God ouer all blessed for euer be all all honor glorie faith loue feare obedience praise yeelded by vs by ours and by all his redeemed eternally Amen Amen Amen To this truth doe the holy Prophets Apostles beare witnesse Reade Gen. 6.5 Psal 104. throughout and Psal 145. c. But most pregnant for this purpose is that place Act. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. v. 18. where the Apostle Iames auoucheth that all the workes of God are knowne to him from the beginning And as knowne so likewise are they ordered For saith our Apostle 1. Cor. 12.6 It is he that worketh all in all things Tripliciter operatur Deus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suidas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The anomie disorder and euill of the action God permitteth the action it self God ordereth In good creatures God worketh his will not onely by them but also in them as in Dauid c. In the rest not in them yet by them as in Iudas c. Let vs now at length come to make some vse by way of position and obseruation both of the absolute soueraigntie of our God as he is Lord and also of his infinite knowledge and prouidence which as Salomon saith doth equally reach vnto all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen to euery haire of euery head and to euery bird of euery feather Matth. 10. cap. 6. And sith the Apostle 2. Tim. 3.16 affirmeth that the right vse of all holy truth is to teach to improue to correct instruct in righteousnesse we will haue some eye vnto the same in our applicatiō And first forasmuch as the Lord Iehouah who properly to speake is Lord onely doth of right as you haue heard challenge to himselfe full absolute and vniuersall Power in and ouer all things persons c. let vs all learne alwayes and in euery estate thus to acknowledge him to be our Lord and our God yea let the greatest Lords and highest Powers vpon earth acknowledge that their places power are of from this Lord and being deriued from him are dependant vpon him limitted by him and subiect vnto him and consequently that they must bee countable vnto him in a most strict account For sayth King Salomon Sap. cap. 6.3 The rule is giuen you of the Lord and your Power by the most High which will trie your workes and search out your imaginations c. Turne not therfore your power and places of eminencie into carnall Pompe or priuate gaine much lesse into personall reuenge and cruel oppression but with holy Dauid sing Mercie and Iudgement to the Lord c. Psal 101. For you exercise but a Ministerie of Iustice and Mercie vnder his holy Maiestie and not any absolute dissolute lawlesse Authoritie which is little better then plaine tyrannie Secondly seeing this high and holy Lord of heauen and earth giueth this subordinate Power to men let vs and all learne to obey them in the Lord that doe command and rule ouer vs in the Lord * Rom. 13.1.2.3 c. and that for Conscience sake Thirdly let vs all from hence learne that we are not our own nor any thing that we haue is absolutely ours but the Lords and therefore that our selues and all that wee haue ought to beat his command in all things times estates and so to make all serue for his honour and glorie cheerefully conscionably constantly Fourthly sith we are all g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellow-seruants vnder one and the same Soueraigne Lord and Master howsoeuer otherwise wee differ in place and partes office and administration yet let no man lift vp his heart aboue that which is meet but in loue learne to serue helpe and honour one another in the Lord as becommeth fellow-seruants that are equally interessed in the Title and honour of the heauenly Inheritance h Rom. 8.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lastly let vs with these heads of duetie consider our dignitie and safetie vnder the Shield and sauing Power of this our Soueraigne Lord and God and comfort our selues in the same vnder all the basenesse of our outward estate and contempt of the world also vnder the enmitie and hostilitie of Sathan and of sinners of Pope or Papist and sing we a sweete and sacred Requiem and Al-hayle to our blessed King Queene Prince State our selues and ours so long as GOD is our Lord and wee continue his faithfull seruants in Iesus Christ Care and feare be remoued from vs and let heauenly comfort and confidence accompanie vs vntill we haue finished our course in the faith seruice of the Lord our God euen of this Lord that knoweth how to deliuer all his from euill and to bring them to neuer-ending Honour And thus may wee profit by the knowledge and faith of this point that God is the Lord our Lord absolute in Power glorious in praises doing wonders wonders I say for his seruants safetie as appeareth in vs this day Oh how blessed are the people whose God is the Lord Iehouah euen the people whom he hath chosen for his Inheritance Psa 33. So much of the first word in our Text. Now let vs come to make some vse of the next head of doctrine touching the knowledge of this Lord The Lord knoweth The Atheist beleeueth not the truth of this Text but saith Is there any such knowledge in the Almightie Others hold the Paynims principle that tho God knoweth all yet say Non vacat Ioui c. The Lord hath no leisure to attend vpon euery trifle which one thus well answereth That as God vouchsafed to create the least and basest things Sicut non dedecuit Deum infima creare sic nec creata curare so hee disdaineth not to regard and order the same The common sort of Christians will bee brought to yeelde perhaps that the Lord vnderstandeth and knoweth all and potentially is able to doe what hee will but hardly can bee brought to confesse a particular and practike knowledge in God which extendeth it selfe to all and euery least creature thing whatsoeuer vnder heauen in heauen Yet must euen this also be beleeued or else this Truth of doctrine which is the ground of our hope and safetie is violated Finally the weake Christian which yet is not wholly voide of faith in God not duely pondering this point of holy truth seeing the prosperity of the wicked and the affliction of the good doth thereupon conceiue amisse of the Lord his

gouernement and knowledge of things here below and so also becommeth impatient and heartlesse to his owne great hurt and the offence of Heauen All these must learne to know and beleeue if they will bee saued that in God our Lord assuredly there is an eternall absolute and infallible knowledge of all things whatsoeuer together with wisedome will and power to rule order and dispose of them accordingly vntill euery thing be brought to that period and end which he hath appointed for his owne glory the saluation of the Elect and ruine of the Reprobate rout For the holy Word of ●he Lord doth here witnesse the same and his holy workes doe confirme it abundantly Now the meditation of all that herein hath beene said and truely taught out of these two words ioyned together The Lord knoweth referred to both the parts of this Prophecy as the same ought to be might me thinkes strike a strange terrour into the soule of any sinner which is not too too forlone and hardened in sinne when he shal come to himselfe and consider that hee hath sinned against a Lord First of infinite knowledge which perfectly knoweth the number and nature of all his sinnes whatsoeuer Secondly of infinite Iustice and therefore cannot let escape the least particular sinne which he was euer guiltie of originally or personally vnlesse hee find mercie in the Mediatour vpon his true repentance and faithfull conuersion from the power of Satan to the liuing Lord and from the disobedience of the wicked to the wisedome of the iust c. Thirdly of infinite power also and authoritie to cast both soule and bodie into Hell-fire perpetually vnrecouerably And lastly of infinite Eternitie to giue the impenitent sinner eternitie in that vnspeakeable miserie Oh consider this all that forget God together with his vnspeakeable knowledge power and iustice Make vp your peace with GOD in time in time I say lest he teare you in pieces and there bee none to deliuer you out of his hand that knoweth how to reserue not preserue the wicked to Iudgement to be punished eternally Moreouer let me tell you as I verily beleeue that the ignorance vnbeliefe or obliuion of this holy Truth that GOD knoweth absolutely all things euen all secrets of all mens mindes and manners and that hee hath absolute power in and ouer all as the Lord of Lords the ignorance I say and vnbeliefe of this truth is the maine cause and root of all Atheisme Prophanenesse Hypocrisie Neutralitie and to come neerer the point in hand of all sinnefull feare and despaire in dangers and distresse also of carnall confidence sinnefull securitie and shifting by corrupt courses to helpe our selues in time of need also of all base grosse and weake conceits of God and of his gouernment and finally of all impatiencie murmuring c. vnder affliction Whereas on the contrarie the sound and sanctified knowledge of GODS infinite power and wisdome to performe whatsoeuer he will and hath reuealed in his Word will helpe to afford all good Christians vnspeakeable animation affiance loue awe peace patience constancy and comfort to cast all their cares and burthen vpon the Lord as hee hath commanded and so to rest in peace and sacred securitie c. Finally that I may grow to an end in the application of this first part of the Text seeing the Lord bringeth his iudgements to light euery morning as his holy Word doth witnesse in his knowledge and power performing the same let vs learne hence-forth to make due and daily obseruation thereof that wee may say as Thusidides did in another case I haue experience of this and that Truth of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulfilled eyther in mercie or iustice so ioyne experimentall knowledge and faith with literall and spirituall How many Christians continue weake in faith and patience c. because they bee wanting this way to God in dutie for God hath so done his maruailous workes that they ought to be had in remembrance and to themselues in wisedome Neglect not then this helpe of holinesse if you would grow vp faster in all holy feare faith loue and obedience c. Learne also this lesson of all the wise-hearted Patriarchs Prophets and Princes of the Lord his people 1. Sam. 17.37 specially of holy Dauid Psal 48.7 c. in his blessed Booke of Psalmes And so let vs proceede in the Text to the next word Deliuer The Lord knoweth to deliuer This is one singular effect of the foresaid Cause Deliuerance to the godly The knowledge of God is neyther idle nor vnfruitfull but operatiue and effectuall and that vnto these two ends principally so farre forth as it concerneth Man namely to saue the godly and to wrecke the wicked And of these because the saluation of the iust is of special consequence for the glorie of Gods sauing power and Fatherly Prouidence therefore it is here set in the first place and hath the preeminence And a singular President mee thinkes it is of good Gouernment and of the right vse of all that knowledge and power wherewith the Lord hath furnished vs or any of vs whether we be Magistrates Ministers or Masters of Families In the extent of mercie and iustice First to bee guided by knowledge euen by Diuine knowlege and vnderstanding of Gods will Secondly to limit it by the power and place which wee hold in charge Thirdly specially and aboue the rest to doe good to the good to preserue and deliuer the Iust so sauing them that should be saued in the first place Let Noah bee first shipped in safetie in GODS Arke before the flouds of Iustice ouerflow the World And let Lot be gone from Sodome y● Angels of the Lord before yo● fire the place of his Repose Consider what I haue sayd and the Lord giue you vnderstanding in all things to doe his will And thus much briefely o● the connexion of the effect with the cause and of the Apostles order in putting the safety of the Saints in the first place and passage of Gods most holy Gouernment Againe further obserue here with me that the Lord our God taketh the ground of his doing good to his seruants euen ●rom his owne eternall and vnchangeable knowledge wil and goodnesse which worketh free●y of it selfe and from it selfe all the effects of mercie and salua●ion promised to his Saints Let then our helpe also and seruice which wee yeeld to the people of God in our places not be base inforced mercinarie or any way corrupt at the root but ●ngenuous free and faithfull that so we may in our measure become merciful and iust as our heauenly Father is to vs. The Text followeth The Lord knoweth to deliuer The word here vsed doth properly signifie to take by force 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h. e. Eripere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to deliuer with strong hand as if the Apostle should tell all the godly that otherwise all euils and enemies dangers distresses

of all straits dangers tryalls temptations euils and enemies vntill such time as they bee safely arriued in the Kingdome of Heauen The warrant and Euidence that the Apostle here sheweth for it is this That the Lord doth know how to deliuer his c. Out of which wordes I purpose though sparingly as I passe through them to giue you in the first place some Grammaticall and Punctuall Obseruations yet not to shew my selfe that vanitie were too light for the grauitie of a Diuine that knoweth himselfe and his seruice to be subiect to a strict Triall before Gods Tribunall but to shew you in part what hidden Mysteries of Diuinitie lye folded vp not onely in compleat Sentences but also in the single words of Sacred Writ In the next place you shall haue such Positions and Obseruations both for Doctrine Dutie and Comfort as I can collect fitly out of this heauenly Oracle I find in the Booke of GOD that the word Lord when it is applyed vnto God indefinitely is to bee taken two-wayes that is to say sometimes g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Essentially and sometimes h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Possessiuely For the former Acts 2.39 The promise is made to you sayth the Apostle Peter to the Iewes and to your children and to all that are a farre off euen to as many as the Lord our God shall call For the latter read Matth. 11.25 I thanke thee or as the Greeke word is I confesse vnto thee O Father i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord of Heauen and Earth c. Possessiuely taken So likewise the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord may I suppose admit a two-fold deriuation videlicet it may come eyther of the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Nowne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the former signifying to be the first k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ens aeternum Essence the other the first l Ens Entium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Authour and so may paralell that essentiall name of God Iehouah who is an infinite and vnsearchable Selfe-being Essence eternall euerlasting and vnchangeable giuing being and beginning to all things c. Or else it may come of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so should intimate the possessing and gouerning of all things as absolute Lord Owner and Commander of them and so it answereth to the Hebrew word Bagnal Hos 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of-himselfe-Lord simply and absolutely as he alone that hath absolute and vniuersall power in and ouer all things causes and persons whatsoeuer wheresoeuer And this of the deriuation sense of the first word Lord taken either essentially or possessiuely here you may safely take it in both senses without restraint to either The doctrine and duties to be deriued from hence I deferre vntill I haue spoken of the Etymologie of the next word and then will I prosecute them together ioyntly and seuerally It followeth in the Text The Lord knoweth c. The greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which answereth to the hebrew word Iadang 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as Scholers know doth signifie to be much and long acquainted with the thing which we know as here now to import thus much Longo vsu exercitatus in liberandis pijs in puniendis sceleratis Beza That the Lord hath beene long time exercised and accustomed with the both deliuering and preseruing of the godly and with punishing the wicked And in this very sense and in the like subiect doth the holy Prophet Psal 1. v. 6. vse the same word where hauing shewed the different conditions estate and end of the good and bad he concludeth with this intimation for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked c. Ki-iodeang Iehouah derec tsaddikim vederecreschagnim tobedh The greeke tongue seemeth to distinguish the three kindes of common knowledge sensual rational and artificial I meane of Sense of Reason and of Art by three seuerall words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 outstrips them all and addeth vnto the three former a fourth kinde of knowledge namely experimentall In which kinde it may be that the holy Angels themselues increase in knowledge experimentally But howsoeuer the rules goe with Creatures and with their knowledge I am sure that it goeth far otherwise with the Creator whose knowledge is as himselfe infinite and vnsearchable Insomuch as me thinkes I heare the holy Apostle here proclayming openly that there is nothing so darke deepe or difficult so large and manifold which hath beene is or can be hid from the ancient perfect and plenarie knowledge of the Lord God with whom we haue to doe c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 4. Moreouer finding the verb here vsed to be put in the tense and time past for punie Scholers know that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therfore should be read The Lord hath known it sheweth that this knowledge of GOD our Lord is from euerlasting to euerlasting no time past present or to come cā determine his knowledge but it farre farre exceedeth all terme of time Now from all these punctuall impressions of this word of truth let me collect giue vnto you some weak definition of the knowledge of God thus The knowledge of God is that by which the Lord our God in one eternall ineffable act of infinite vnderstanding doth distinctly and perfectly know all things persons causes times and occurrences which haue beene are or shall be more and lesse first and last together with all their substances quantities qualities inclinations motions actions and ends and this not by certayne degrees and passages nor by obseruations and notions abstracted and taken from the things themselues as Men and Angels may know things Nil Creatoris aut lateat cognitionem aut effugiat potestatem Aug. but essentially of in and from himselfe absolutely simply and all at once To which his absolute diuine knowledge of all things is ioyned his infinite Act of will whereby God willeth them freely iustly eternally and vnchangeably and according to the same doth effectually precisely punctually and fully performe the same his knowledge and will in all things euermore consequently and by name in these two mayne parts of his most holy Will and decree of preseruing and deliuering his faithful-ones the godly and of reseruing the wicked to the day of iudgment to be punished as here in our Text is proclaymed And if here we may be bold to take in that ancient and orthodoxe principle in diuinitie That all the essentiall attributes of God whereof his knowledge is one doe agree Attributa Dei essentialia propter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 singulis diuinitatis Personis competunt and equally belong to all the persons of the holy Trinitie then it must needes follow that this is truly testified of God the Father