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	strong_a	unrighteousness_n	1,917	5	11.2143	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A23771	A sermon preached before the King at White Hall on Sunday Nov. 17, 1667 by Richard Allestree ...	Allestree, Richard, 1619-1681.	1667 (1667)	Wing A1167; ESTC R15229	19,264	41

necessity of yielding strengths and ammunitions will decay provisions fail and if the Enemy cannot their own hunger will break through their walls make avenues for conquest time alone will take them but in these Spiritual Sieges one Repulse inables for another and the more we have resisted the Temptation is not onely so much slatter and more weak and baffled but the inward man is stronger Victory does give new forces and is sure to get in fresh and still sufficient supplies For God giveth more grace saith S. Ja●es and they shall have abundance saith our Saviour So that where the Devil after several repulses still comes on with fresh assaults we may be sure he does discern there is some treacherous inclination that sides with him and although the man refuse himself the satisfaction of the sin he sees he hath a minde to it his refusalls are but saint not hearty though he seem afraid to come within the quarters of the Vice he keeps it may be correspondence with the incentives to it entertains the opportunities plaies with the objects or at best he does not fortifie against him Now this gives the Tempter hopes and invites his assaults and does expose the person to be taken by him But where he sees he is resisted heartily his offers are received with an abhorrency discerns men are in earnest watch to avoid all opportunities and occasions and prepare and fortifie and arm against him there he will not stay to be the triumph of their Vertue We may know this by his Agents those that work under the Devil whom he hath instructed in the mysteries of waging his Temptations Where they are not like to speed and as to this they have discerning spirits they avoid and hate and come not near but study spite and mischief onely there The intemperate men are most uneasie with a person whom they are not able to engage in the debauch the rudeness and brutality of their excesses are not so offensive to the sober man as his stayd Vertue is to them they do not more avoid the crude egestions shamefull spewings of their overtaken fellows riot then they do the shame and the reproch that such a man's strict conversation casts on them which does in earnest make them look more foul and nasty to themselves In fine every sinner shuns the company of those whom he believes Religious in earnest 't is an awe and check to them they are afraid and out at it as their Great Master also is who when he is resisted must be overcome and as they that are beaten have their own fears also for their enemies which are sure to charge close put to flight chase and pursue them so it seems he also is afraid of a sincere and hearty Christian for he flies him so he did from Christ IV. Matt. ver 11. and so the Text assures If you resist him he will fly from you And now although we all did once renounce the Devil and his works were listed Souldiers against him took a Sacrament upon it and our Souls the immortality of life or miserie depend upon our being true and faithfull to our selves and oaths or otherwise nor is there more requir'd of us but resolution and fidelity onely not to be consenting to our Enemies conquest of us not to will captivity and servitude Yet as if in mere defiance of our vows and interests we not onely will'd the ruine but would fight for it we may find in stead of this resisting of the Devil most men do resist the Holy Ghost quench not the fiery darts of Satan but the Spirit and his flames by which he would enkindle love of God and Vertue in them If he take advantage of some warm occasion to inflame their courage against former fol●ies heat them into resolutions of a change as soon as that occasion goes off they put out those flames and choak these heats until they die If he come in his soft whispers speak close to the heart suggest and call them to those joys of which himself is earnest to all these they shut their ears can hear no whispers are not sensible of any sounds of things at such a distance sounds to which they give no more regard then to things of the same extravagance with the Musick of the Spheres Nay if he come with his more active methods as the Angels came to Lot send mercy to allure and take them by the hand as they did to invite and lead them out of Sodome if that will not judgements then to thrust them out as they did also come with fire and brimstone to affright them they not onely like the men of Sodome do attempt a violence and rape upon those very Angels but they really debauch the mercies and profane the judgements having blinded their own eyes that they might see no hand of God in either using thus unkindly all his blessed methods of reclaiming them till they have grieved him so that he forsake and leave them utterly As if they had not heard that when the Holy Spirit is thus forc'd away the evil spirit takes his place I Sam. XVI 14. As if they knew not that to those who close their eyes and stop their ears against the Holy Spirit 's motions till they are grown dull of hearing and blind to them God does send a spirit of slumber that they should not see nor hear and that for this dire reason that they may not be converted nor be sav'd Five times he affirms it in the Scripture Yea once more in words of a sad Emphasis II Thes. II. 12 13. He sends them strong delusions that they may believe a ly that they all may be damn'd who believe not the truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness and that because they received not the love of the truth that they might be sav'd Blessed God! Is it so easie for such sinners to believe and be converted that thy self shouldst interpose to hinder it and hide the possibilities of mercy from their eyes that they may never see them nor recover What can then become of those for whom God does contrive that they shall not escape when instead of those bowels that did make him swear he would not have the sinner die but would have him return and live he puts on so much indignation at such sinners as to take an order they shall not repent and take an order that they shall be damn'd And yet all this is onely to those men who being dull of hearing the suggestions of the Spirit and not willing to give entertainment to his holy motions grieve him so that they repell and drive him quite away and so by consequence onely make way for the Devil Whereas there are others that directly call him force him to them ravish and invade occasions to serve him Some there are that study how to disbelieve and with great labour and contrivance work out arguments and motives to