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	lie_n	save_v	2,059	5	6.0068	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60679	Directions for seeker & expectants, or, A guide for weak Christians in these distracted times wherein the language of Sions-builders is confounded : as it was delivered in a sermon at Wickham-Market ... published at the earnest entreatie of many, for a more publique good / by Zeph. Smith, Minister of Wickham-Market in Suffolke.	Smyth, Zeph. (Zephaniah), fl. 1646-1648.	1646 (1646)	Wing S4362; ESTC R37570	24,293	39

professe themselves to be Gods people there is so much divisions and dissentions and strange opinions and that they are so contrary one to another in judgement when we consider this wee cannot conclude that it is such a dignitie to be taught of God Answ It is true amongst professors at this day there is much difference in judgement some are of one opinion and some of another some are falne into strange and corrupt opinions but this comes not to passe because God teacheth his people severall wayes but first because they doe not learne of God for God is not the Author of the errors that abound amongst professors but the Author of truth and that he teacheth the soule is truth and nothing but the truth nothing but that which is agreeable to his will and therefore it is not because God teacheth them corrupt opinions but because they do not learne of God Secondly it comes to passe that amongst professors they hold strange opinions because as God teacheth the truth and nothing but the truth to his people so the Devill sows the seeds of division amongst people where God sows wheate the Devill sowes tares where God makes knowne his truth there the Devill seeks to infect people with errors Thirdly it comes to passe by permittance God is pleased to permit it he permits it for two causes first for the good of his people the Lord lets his owne people many times run into strange opinions for a time that he might bring them back againe and establish them the more firmly in the truth and there are none to such Christians as these when the Lord hath brought them back againe then they will acknowledge their weaknesse and how subject they are to be misled Ah says the poore soule I had like to have miscarried and been carried away with such and such corrupt opinions had not the Lord in mercy brought me back againe now they will walke more humbly and now they will stand up for the truth and defend it more boldly then they did formerly they will advise their friends and bid them take heed of being seduced they will try the spirits for the time to come whether they be of God or no they will be more earnest with God for the time to come to establish them in the truth And thus the Lord doth it for the good of his people Secondly the Lord permits it out of a just judgement to others who though they be glorious professors yet because their hearts are not sound he will discover them by this means when they come to forsake the wayes and truths of Jesus Christ and run into this and that error and then from one thing to another till at the length they come to deny the Scriptures and live prophanely Thus many come to be discovered in these times And secondly he gives them up to their corrupt opinions and this is a great judgement when the Lord says to them as to Ephraim He is joyned to Idols let him alone Hosea 4.17 So when the Lord says to them they are joyned to their corrupt opinions let them alone let them hold Atheisme if they will let them hold Arminianisme Arianisme Marcellianisme Nicolaitanisme Mahometisme Anabaptisme Antinomianisme if they will let them hold that the soule is mortall and dyes with the body and that the Word of God is written traditions and when they have received the Spirit the letter should cease let them alone I will give them over to these opinions because they refuse to be guided by the rule of truth I will give them up to strong delusions 2 Thes 2.11 12. Because they received not the truth that they might be saved therefore God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeve lyes that they might be damned which beleeve not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse But how is it possible you will say that they should fall from one corrupt opinion to another do not their own consciences check them I answer the conscience of an hereticke is a seared conscience their conscience is seared with an hot iron 1 Tim. 4.2 Who doth the Apostle meane there you may see in the first verse such as give heed unto spirits of errours and doctrines of devils their consciences are past feeling When God hath once given a man or woman over conscience very seldome troubles them though they fall into horrible blasphemies yet seldome or never their consciences trouble them why so because God hath given them over and this makes the condition of a man or woman miserable the Apostle saith Heb. 10.31 It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God but it is a more fearfull thing to fall out of the hands of God and therefore their condition is very fearfull Use 2 The second Use is for reproofe Seeing God is the best teacher and instructor of his people it reproves them that rest in mans teaching onely thinke it enough if they come to the Word and Sacraments and can cry The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord this is the Temple of the Lord and their rest and thinke all is well with them they shall most certainly goe to heaven but alas poore soule thou must know that the outward Ministry of the Word will doe thee no good without the inward operation of the Spirit it is God that ●auseth his people to profit and if thou be not taught of God as well as of man thy outward teaching will doe ●●ee no good thou thinkest it will carry thee to heaven 〈◊〉 it will make thy condemnation the greater if thou be ●ot bettered by it Our Saviour Christ did many great ●orkes amongst them of Chorazin Bethsaida and Caper●●um they might as well as thou blesse themselves they ●e in a good condition why so because they might say Christ hath preached wrought many miracles amongst 〈◊〉 and walked up and downe in our streets wee have had 〈◊〉 company surely we are a happy people but see what our Saviour Christ saith of them they repented not and what follows Woe to thee Chorazin woe to thee Bethsaida and thou Capernaum that art lifted up to heaven shalt be throwne downe to bell Mat. 11.21 22 23. And it shall be more easie for them of the land of Sodome at the day of Judgement then for you So a people may be lifted up to heaven with meanes and brought downe to hell for not profiting by it and their condemnation will be the greater This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse Joh. 3.19 This is the grand damning sinne this damnes people with a witnesse to live under the meanes of grace unprofitable and unfruitfull Secondly It likewise reproves them that take all their Religion upon trust never with the men of Berea search the Scriptures Acts 17.11 But if one come with one Doctrine and another with another he knows not but that they may all speake truth And

hundred-fold Mat. 19.29 Suppose a soule be to suffer for Christs sake I will saith the Lord be with thee in the fire and the water as Isai 43.4 that it shall not hurt thee so to the poore soule that doth say Sinne will overcome ●e and get the day when I have done what I can and I ●hall never be able to overcome such and such corruptions I shall never be able to overcome Satans temptations Well saith the Lord Sinne shall not have dominion ever your mortall bodies Rom. 6.14 And the God of peace ●all tread Satan under your feet shortly Rom. 6.20 And one shall ever be able to plucke my sheep out of my hands Joh. ●● 28 So the soule that is ignorant of Gods wayes and cryes out Oh I know not whether I be in the right way or no there are so many severall opinions I will teach thee saith the Lord in the way that thou shalt goe Psal 32.8 And thy eares shall heare a voyce behinde thee saying This is the way Isai 30.21 And as in these so in any condition that the Lord doth teach sutable to the condition of the soule And thus having shewed you the excellency of Gods teaching his people above mans it followes next to shew you the manner of his teaching First The Lord doth teach the soule to know its misery without Jesus Christ he opens the understanding and inlightneth the minde and causeth the soule to see its lost condition Secondly He doth it with power the day of his power came upon the soule the people shall be willing in the day of thy power Psal 110. The Lord doth not onely open the understanding inlighten the mind but causeth the soule to lye under the power of those truths Then thirdly he doth use arguments of conviction by which he doth convince the sinner of his misery and of the necessitie of Jesus Christ When the soule objects It is but the opinion of the Minister and God is mercifull and he that made us will save us The Lord makes answer It is not the Minister but the Scripture that concludes all under sinne Gal. 3.22 And whereas thou sayest God is mercifull He that heares the words of this curse and blesseth himselfe in his heart and saith I shall have peace though I walke according to the imagination of my heart the Lord will not be mercifull to him nay his wrath and jealousie shall smoake against him Deut. 29.19 And he that made you will not save you and he that formed you will not have mercy on you Isai 27.11 And the Lord doth not onely propound this unto the soule but brings the soule under the power of these truths the Lord beats the sinner of all the props he leans upon besides Jesus Christ the Lord makes all the arguments effectuall if he speak it is done if he say to the blind eyes be opened and to the deafe eares be opened they shall be opened if he say to the dead soule live it shall live in that day the eares of the dease shall be opened and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscuritie and darknesse and the dead shall heare the voyce of Jesus Christ and live and so it is with whatsoever the Lord teacheth the soule whether in the worke of preparation for Christ or direction how to live after the soule hath received Christ the Lord doth not onely propound the truth to them but brings them under the power of it Next we come to the Reasons why God is the best instructor of his people Reas 1 God is the best instructor of his people because he is the ablest teacher and instructor of his people he is the ablest for matter manner and measure first he is the ablest for matter that which God teacheth is infallible truth now there is no man that is infallible for matter for the doctrine of faithful Ministers may have much failing in it they are men and may erre but God cannot erre all that he teacheth the soul is truth infallible truth nothing but truth truth without mixture and there is ●o truth the soule desires to have cleared up but God is able to do it and not onely a part of truth but the whole truth A poore soule may goe to this Minister and that Minister and say Sir I would faine be resolved whether ●●ch and such a thing be truth and they may direct them so farre as they can but when they have done what they ●an yet the partie may be in a great part unresolved why ●o Ministers know but in part but God knows the whole ●●uth and is able to teach the soule the whole truth But I pray mistake me not I speake now what God is able to doe I doe not say that God doth teach his people the whole knowledge of the whole truth for in this life we know but in part but I say God is able to teach his people the whole knowledge of the whole truth and therefore he is the ablest teacher of his people Secondly he is the ablest for the manner he causeth that he teacheth to take impression upon the heart which no other teacher is able to doe Thirdly he is the ablest for measure all the matter that is in all the faithfull Preachers in the world they had it from him as the fountaine and originall of it it is he that filled all the Prophets with matter and all the Apostles and all the faithfull Ministers of the Word looke what abilitie they have they have it from him looke what abilitie one hath above another God gave it him who distributeth to every one as he pleaseth all their knowledge and abilities and graces are but streames flowing from the fountaine now looke what is in the chanell there is much more in the fountaine now God is the fountaine they have but the streames that run in the chanell therefore God is the ablest teacher for the measure Reas 2 As God is the ablest teacher of his people so he is the wisest and therefore the best instructor of his people for the matter it is wisdome it selfe 1 Cor. 2.7 for the manner with infinite wisdome if we consider Gods carriage towards the soule when he draws it to himselfe for the time he comes in a seasonable time to the soule either to humble or comfort it the Minister may apply comfort too soone unto a soule or sad them they should comfort and many times the Minister is posed when he lights upon some kinde of people knows not whether i● be best to apply comfort or terrour or how to deale with the partie but the wisdome of God is such as he knows what is sutable to the soules condition and what time is most seasonable he is wisest for the time Reas 3 God is the faithfullest teacher of his people and therefore the best teacher Ministers may erre or be unfaithfull to people but God is a faithfull teacher and instructor to his people he is