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	send_v	unrighteousness_n	1,800	5	11.2922	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20540	Three godlie and fruitful sermons; the two first preached by Maister Iohn Dod: the last by Maister Robert Cleauer. Whereunto are annexed, fiue propositions, or points of doctrine, comprehended in three other sermons, by the same author	Dod, John, 1549?-1645.; Cleaver, Robert, 1561 or 2-ca. 1625. aut	1610 (1610)	STC 6950; ESTC S117481	100,240	192

the word that checketh him for his sinne and in what measure any man dislikes the word in the same measure will hee take pleasure in all manner of iniquitie which is condemned by the word And thus much for the causes of this vnwillingnesse The ill effects follow which to mention but a few of a great many are three The two former in respect of men themselues the last in respect of God Concerning themselues first they are neuer able to meditate on the word For whatsoeuer a man comes vnwillingly to hearken vnto that will quickly slip out of his minde neither can hee possibly get it to take any deepe roote in his heart Hence is it that when couetous or malicious or vnchast persons repaire vnto Sermons to please their masters or to satisfie the law or for some such by-respect they neuer seriously think of that which they haue heard to make any application thereof vnto themselues they cannot bring their hearts vnto it for a sinfull conscience will not indure to be tied to the word of the Lord. The Prophet Dauid saith Lord how loue I thy law my meditation Psal 119. 97. is in it continually What will follow then if a man doe not loue Gods law Surely he will not at any time meditate thereon which hee that doth not must needs be a very sinfull creature Secondly as hee will neuer ponder vpon it so neither will he practise it He that is vnwilling to heare his dutie will be much more vnwilling to doe it If wee see a seruant that cannot endure to bee informed what is his masters will and pleasure we presently conclude that such an one will not prooue a faithfull and trustie seruant and so may we do without any breach of charitie when wee perceiue a man to be altogether carelesse or contemptuous in listening to the charge of his heauenly master hee that cannot abide to heare of the duties of the Sabbath nor of the exercises of religion that hee is to performe in his familie and the like we may boldly say except the Lord conuert this mans heart certainly hee will neuer make conscience of performing these duties Now for the effect which they shall find from the Lord it is this that he will deale with them as with wicked and vngodly ones both in this life and afterwards for because they receiue not the loue 2. Thess 2. 10. 11 12. of the truth that they might bee saued therefore God will send them strong delusion that they should beleeue lies That all they may be damned that beleeue not the truth but take pleasure in vnrighteousnes This doctrine maketh Vse 1 First for the terror of Papists and all such as are popishly affected as being liable to this iudgement and heauy stroake of God because they refuse to heare the word of the Lord and will rather hearken to erroneous and heretical doctrine then to the truth of God contained in the holie Scriptures and rather lie in prison amongst malefactors then bee in the Church amongst true Christians Obiect But though they doe not heare the word preached yet will some say they pray very much Answere What of that doe they imagine to haue any benefit by their prayers if they doe they will bee much deceiued for Salomon saith He that turneth Prou. 28. 9. away his eare from hearing the law euen his prayer shall be abominable Let them pretend what they will for their wilful absenting of themselues from our assemblies as namely that wee corrupt the word and misinterprete and misapplie the same yet they shall finde that they haue refused to embrace the loue of the trueth and haue beleeued lies and that therefore the Lord hath iustly giuen them vp to be deluded by Satan and so to be damned with him euerlastingly Secondly for the iust reproofe of many among vs who will come vnto the Church and sit before the Preacher as men and women desiring to obtaine the knowledge of Gods waies whereas in truth the Lord and their owne consciences can witnesse that they are altogether vnwilling to receiue any wholesome admonition and instruction and that no charge is or can bee more vnpleasant and distastfull vnto them then that of the God of heauen when hee straitly enioyneth them with all speed to get out of their sinnes and to turne their feete into the way of his testimonies And because they will bee very loath to acknowledge thus much but are readie to harbour too good an opinion of themselues as if none were more forward hearers then they are let their owne hearts bee iudges what preparation they make before hand for the fitting of themselues for such a great work what attention they vse when they are present and what meditation and conference they haue concerning it when they are departed Of which points if they would without partialitie examine themselues they should easily discerne a great deale of backwardnesse in their nature and in their practise If a man should protest that hee goes to the market with a great desire to buy food for himselfe and his family yet if hee alwaies plaied the vnthrift with his money and neuer brought home any prouision we would not giue credit to his words but account him a meere dissembler and the like censure may we passe on such as pretend they are willing to reape benefit by the word to the intent they may bee able to helpe both themselues and their families and yet neuer carrie away any thing to the purpose but if you aske them what points were handled they can say nothing but this surely wee heard a very good Sermon God be thanked but my memorie is very short or I cannot vtter all that I haue in my minde my heart I hope is as good as the best though I cannot talke of the Sermon as others doe what is this but to deceiue their owne soules with vaine words for certainly he that hath a heart willing to heare will haue a tongue readie to vtter in some tolerable sort that which hee hath heard though not all of it yet a good part of it as God hath giuen to euery one the measure of grace Another sort are here to be reproued who doe in a more palpable and grosse manner manifest their vnwillingnes to heare in that they will take euery slight occasion to absent themselues and that not onely on the weeke daies but on the Lords day also so that when the Lord commeth euen to their dores and offereth to powre down his graces abundantly vpon them they refuse his gratious offer and so iudge themselues vnworthie of Acts 13 46. eternall life Thirdly this is for our instruction if we would be freed from the accusation and condemnation of impious and prophane persons then let vs labour to bee willing and well affected hearers and to come with a better appetite to the food of our soules then wee doe to the foode of our bodies and bee more desirous to

it and haue it quenched in him Answere To this it may be said that because the spirit of God commeth to and worketh in diuers men diuersly and in diuers measures therefore we must consider of the diuers working of the spirit and then frame our answere accordingly First then there is a lighter and lesser worke of Seuerall operations of the sp●rit the spirit which may be quenched as appeareth in the two kindes of grounds Luke 8. to wit the stonie and thornie ground which doubtlesse felt Matth. 13. Luke 8. some working of the spirit for they are said to receiue the word with ioy and to beleeue for a time though after either the pleasures and profits of this life did choake the graces of God or else the fierie heate of persecution did drie them vp not being such sanctifying graces as are bestowed vpon the elect If any would see the trueth of this more cleerely let him reade Hebr. chap. 6. vers 1 2 3 4 5. There is a second kinde of working of the spirit which is more effectuall which can neuer bee lost This Peter describeth saying that the chosen of God are begotten againe of the immortall seede of 1. Pet. 1. 23. the word this is not a light but a deepe tasting of the word whereby men are regenerated and begotten vnto God The Apostle Iohn setteth down another note of this saying that they that are thus ● Ioh. 3. 7. 8. borne againe doe not sinne that is they cannot make an occupation of sinne they cannot fall flat away by sinne and why euen because the seed of God abideth in them euen that seede whereby they were begotten againe which will abide in them euen vnto the end so that they shall neither Matth. 24. 24. John 10. 28. 29. by secret seducements nor by open violence be taken out of Gods hands Thus then we see the question answered neither must it be strange much lesse offensiue vnto vs that the Lord should take some and leaue others or that he should work effectually in some for their eternall saluation and more slightly in others for the increase of their condemnation for thus hath God dealt euen from the beginning and that most righteously because hee may doe with his owne what he will Rom. 9. 20 21. Let vs see rather what vse we may make of it First let vs take heed of quenching any grace of God Secondly still labour to haue a greater measure of gifts seeing small gifts may be taken away Lastly let vs learne to put a difference between hypocrites and sound Christians for the one sort indureth but for a time but the other lasteth for euer But if yet wee require a cleerer difference betweene these seuerall operations of the spirit let vs marke these rules First let vs trie what insight wee haue into the Rules to trie whether the spi●i● haue wrought in vs in a sauing manner word of God certaine it is that both the godlie and wicked are inlightened but diuersly for the knowledge of the godly is certaine and distinct and therefore in particular things they are able to 1. Concerning knowledge 1. apply the threatnings of God for their humiliation and his promises for their consolation whereas the knowledge of the wicked is confused and causeth them to applie nothing to themselues for good Againe godly mens knowledge is sufficient to direct them both generally and in particular duties whereas the knowledge of the vngodly is only generall Lastly the knowledge of the one continueth with them vnto the end but the knowledge of the other leaueth them in the end Therefore is the knowledge of the godly for the cleerenes certaintie and sufficiencie of it compared to the Sunne and the knowledge of the wicked to the Heb. 6. lightning which is onely for a sudden flash and when it is gone men are more dimme-sighted then they were before Thus wee see one difference in their iudgements Secondly let vs come to their affections Certaine 2. Concerning the affections 1. Desire Psal 78. 34. it is that the wicked doe desire the help and fauour of God but the difference stands in the cause why they seeke helpe onely because of some extremitie they are in and sue for the fauour of God because they would be freed from griefe and therefore it is vsual with them to say Oh that I were out of this paine oh that this my sorrow were taken from me by which speeches they shew that so they might be at rest and ease they would little weigh of the helpe and fauour of God but the godly finde such sweetnes in his loue that they count it better then life it self Psal 63. 3. in so much that for the obtaining thereof they can bee content to forgoe all the pleasures of this Matth. 13. 4. life yea and to suffer whatsoeuer it shall please the Lord to inflict vpon them Further not the godly onely but the wicked 2. Sorrow also are grieued when they haue sinned but the wicked doe therefore sorrow because their sinne hath or will bring some punishment vpon them and the godly sorrow chiefly because they haue Psal 80. 7. offended God and giuen him occasion to withdraw his fauour from them The third differēce is in their loue for though 3. Loue. both of them doe loue God yet it is after a diuers manner the one of sinceritie the other for wages only A poore childe that is taken vp fed and cloathed will loue him that doth thus feede and clothe him but if hee receiued no more of that man then of another he would like him and loue him no better then another euen so it is with the wicked if their bellics be filled their barnes stuffed and they haue their hearts desire they loue God indeede but onely for their belly and their barnes Thus did Saul loue God for his kingdom Achitophel for his promotion Iudas for his place of Apostleship but what became of their loue Saul a little afflicted forsooke God Achitophel somewhat crossed in his deuices and disappointed of his hopes hanged himselfe and Iudas for gaine betraied Christ Some experience of this wee may see among vs Courtiers will be professors and Schollers of ripe wits will be religious if that Courtiers may become Counsellors and Schollers may be preferred to the chiefest places but if promotion come not then is their profession forsaken and their religion laid aside and yet that is not all for either they waxe prophane in their liues or hereticall in their opinions Doe the children of God loue on this manner No the holy Ghost which they haue receiued in effectuall manner doth shed the seede of loue in their hearts and doth Rom. 5. worke in them a speciall liking of his goodnesse and of his holinesse so that they loue him not for Psal 116. 1. his blessings alone but chiefly for himselfe as the naturall childe loueth his father naturally