Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	bodily_a	exercise_n	flourish_n	30	3	16.0729	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79493	The evening star appearing to the saints, directing them to celebrate their holy rest, even the Sabbath-day (not from morning to morning nor from midnight to midnight but) from even to even, according to the word of God ... There is an epistle to the Parliament in the conclusion ... Unto which is annexed, A new Christian creed ... / By Samuel Chidley, Cler.	Chidley, Samuel.	1650 (1650)	Wing C3839B; ESTC R173826	39,041	163

seated in all men a certaine Character of his divine power which divine power seated in mans soule doth hinder mans heart from contentment in anie created good and doth cause the soule to re-aspire to that summum bonum the chiefe good in God himself Hence it cometh to passe that man is easily perswaded that his chiefe good doth not consist in any naturall or bodily parts or sensuall exercises though through strength of sensuality man be wholly for the most part sensually exercised The truth of this is plain in the confession of most prophane and ungodly who in words do expresse that their hope is in God above all unto which they are forced by the power aforesaid Now when man in the power of the naturall conscience and by vertue of this divine Character is forced to fly from all its sensuall pleasures as unable to give it any contentment then he leaneth upon the reed of his Religion such as it is better or worse if his religious exercises be more cold or neuterly then his conceit and so his decit is so much the lesse if his religious exercise be more devout and zealous then his conceit and deceit is more strong for as much pride doth alwaies attend such verball knowledge and bodily exercises But lest some should stagger at this doctrine as though the overthrow of all religious exercises were intended and as if all religious exercises may deceive I will therefore shew how this false florish of religious exercise doth deceive and so conclude how that the body and truth of Religion neither doth nor can deceive The manner how this religious florish doth deceive is by reason of that sympathy and agreement which is in part between such bodily exercises and the true Religion But more especially in respect of that sympathy which is between such bodily services and that naturall disposition to Religion which is in every mans heart for as before was said there is by reason of the divine Character in mans soule a disposition to adore or worship somewhat as more supreme or excellent then it self Now mans understanding being darke yea darknesse it selfe man doth entertaine such a forme of religious exercise as it seemeth best to the darke and blind reason being spurred on by that sparke of Divinitie which remaineth in the Soule or Conscience notwithstanding this reason which is darke being set a work by the instinct of nature is never able to reach anie sound or supernaturall truth although it should by literall learning and Clerk-like cunning dive never so deep into Scripture-learnednesse but contrariwise it reacheth a forme of knowledge and a forme of bodily working and worship ship either this way or that way as it seemeth best to everie mans reason and judgment to understand the Scripture learning For though all Sects say they will be guided by the Word of Truth yet is the Word of Truth one as God is one and they may according to their severall constructions of Scriptures and conceits of their owne wisdome seem to make good their opinion all which formes of religious exercises of knowing and obeying being comprehensible to mans reason doe carrie in them a certaine likenesse unto that naturall disposition which is in man to be religious so man in this estate and condition is still in the outward Court of bodily Service having more or lesse zeale of GOD but not according to knowledge that is not according to that supernatural knowledge which cometh from above called by S. James wisdome neither do any such bodily works know God according to the verie truth It is life eternall to know God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent But this knowledge is not in speculation or verball discourse but it is the power of God making known to the soule that power of love which passeth understanding for God is love and he that knoweth God knoweth love and he which loveth not knoweth not God 1 John 4.8 This knowledg of God is wrought by the finger of God in the emptying of the soule of putten-on forms of knowledg which are according to the darknes of naturall understanding and by making high things low the soule that is rich poor in the best of her performance so that now the soule is naked and stript of all her naturall power is brought to the carkas and body of truth God himself without figure or forme not knowable to the understanding which judgeth only of species but by act of communion made known to the soule in the experimental acquaintance which the understanding perceiveth not by discoursing of it but by being subdued in it This man having acquaintance with God his heart is established with grace not with meates he knoweth the secrets of the Kingdom of God which are to many Clarkes great parables and so is this man truly resolved that the Kingdom of God commeth not by observation nor consisteth in meate or drink but in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost This is that Body of Religion which deceiveth none and is received but of some CHAP. 7. Shewing the Symptomes of the conceited happiness But that the conceit deceit of the heart may more fully appear let us consider what be the signes of such supposed peace The signes of this supposed happiness are no lesse divers then are the degrees of such false perswasions for as men are more or lesse in the degrees of this false perswasion according to the degrees of their literall knowledg and bodily working so do they giue severall signes Symptomes of their hearts deceit all which respecting bre●ity I shall comprehend under four heads First a more gross sensuall life Secondly a more close sensuall life Thirdly a verball vaine boasting of Religion Fourthly a most excessive exercise and bodily performance in things religious together with mutation in the formes of such services The first signe to be conceived which is the gross sensuall life is most proper to the vain and prophane multitude for albeit they have as hath been shewed a forme of religious Exercise wherein nuterly and coldly at certain times they exercise themselves and in which performance they place their hope of happines yet it is most plain that the way of peace they never knew seeing their more then bruitlesse life is so visible to all men Some of them prosecuting their humours with most fearfull and blasphemous Oaths calling into their carnall minds the parts and passions of our Saviour Christ as his body blood wounds c together with a most ●rophane using of he name of the most high God nor being satisfied with this blasphemy they dare proceed to higher impiety in swear●ng by the Creatures and most commonly by which is least known of men namely the soule a fearfull sinne yet very common in these Northern parts and that which doth aggravate this their sinne is the carnall occasion them hereunto moving meeting them amongst their pots and pot-Companions which to name were needles

understanding seemeth a strange thing to most men to perswade men that a man may be rich without wealth honorable in disgrace joyfull in adversity strong in weaknesse and lively in the very point of death this to perswade men to were to make the world wonder So that it is cleare that the most part of men are incredulous in this matter of the hearts happinesse There be many that will confesse that there is but God and that the Father is the Creator of the world that Jesus Christ is the Redeemer and the holy Ghost the Sanctifier which notwithstanding will affirme it to be a great presumption for any man to be assured of any happinesse in God or in Christ which is all one as to deny both God and Christ for no man truly and experimentally knoweth God but he which is established in him as the only good of his heart and soul But to let such passe which in opinion deny such assurance let us consider how grossely they faile which do in opinion allow of the possibility of this assurance for though many may be found which do confesse that it is possible to come to such an assurance and happinesse in God yet will they not believe but that this assurance is up and down according to their working better or worse neither will they believe that the peace of the heart standeth in the soules communion with God but that it dependeth upon such evidences as they have drawne from the conformity of their wills affections and actions to their literall knowledge so that it cometh to passe that none are so unbelieving in this point of the hearts happinesse as those which have acquired a brain full of verball knowledge with which they are puffed up Infidelity being the ground of this deceit let us consider how it worketh the manner how it worketh is by a proud puffing up the heart in a very high conceit of what it hath acquired and this pride is supported by two deceitfull props The first is conceit of things future and to come The second is neglect of things present which we thus declare Infidelity possessing the heart hence proceedeth pride stoutly opposing the hearts happinesse with one of these two arguments following That is either like Corah and that company they tell the sons of Levi they take too much upon them to discourse of so high and transcendent a subject as the Peace and Happinesse of the Heart or else in a Scripture-learnednesse and a verball knowledge they labour to maintaine as the onely happinesse of the heart that estate and condition in which they stand for not having grace to humble themselves to the true annihilating of their acquired and put on formes of knowledge it must of necessity follow that they must defend that estate in which they stand the props or supports of this condition and bold maintaining are as before is said First a conceit of future things for when a man doth truly looke into his spirituall estate and so examineth the fulnesse of his heart he presently findeth a want and an emptinesse of contentment yea in the midst of all externall fulnesse but now he in this estate of emptinesse doth befool himselfe perswading himselfe that it shall be well with him when he shall have accomplished such and such projects as his mind intendeth And thus he putteth off this present time in expectation of future good which is nothing else but the malice of Satan against our Hearts happiness The second prop upholding the infidelity and pride of our Hearts is neglect of examination of our present condition and estate for the most part of men are seldome drawne to enter into a true examination of their owne condition and so it cometh to passe that they conceit themselves happy in a haplesse condition Thus we see the hearts deceit in the conceit of happinesse the ground of it Infidelity the manner how it worketh by pride the props of its support conceit of things future and neglect of things present CHAP. VI. The mysticall cloake or covering wherewith the heart is most strongly deluded concerning this happiness HAving shewed in the former Chapter that the Heart is deceived in the conceit of Happinesse and that most commonly by one of these two deceits either a vain confidence in things to come or by a carelesse neglect of the present condition it shall be necessary that we now come to shew a third and a more mysticall manner of deceit then yet we have touched And this I the rather signifie in a Chapter by it self partly because it requireth a large dilation and would have the former Chapter over-long and partly because it is more proper to some people then the former deceits being spun in a small thred and so very mystically deceiving as shall be shewed We read in Holy Writ of a mysterie of godlinesse and that is Christ manifested in the flesh we read also of a mystery of iniquity and that is a fleshly manifestation of Christ for as the true manifestation of Christ in the flesh is a godly and a great mystery so a fained and a false manifestation of Christ is a great yet a fleshly mystery and if there be a mystery of iniquity no marvell if Satan mystically cloak the minds and hearts of men that they should not perceive the truth of true happinesse But in short to tell what this mystical cloak and covering is which so strongly deludeth our hearts happinesse it is a fair yet a false flourish of religious exercises Many things there be with which the heart of man is deceived but none may be compared to this in respect of the close and crafty deceiving which in it is contained In the declaring whereof let us observe three things First the truth of the assertion that a flourish of religious exercise is a speciall deceiver of mans heart of the true happinesse Secondly let us consider the reason of this religious deceit Thirdly we shall note the manner how it worketh to deceive the Hearts happinesse That religious exercise doe deceive men of their hearts happinesse seemeth at the first a very strange position for it rather seemeth that sensuality and fleshly pleasures and profits doe deceive men then religious exercises for too few God knoweth will some say are religiously exercised To which I answer It is true that very few are rel●giously exercised if we speak of Religion and religious exercises as they are in truth and indeed in the account of Almighty God who is that true Kardiognostes and searcher of the heart Nor are any deceived with the truth of Religion for it is nothing else but God in Man conforming man to his own Image of righteousnesse and true holinesse Now God cannot deceive but that there is an exercise of Religion seeming true which becometh the strong deceiver and most mysticall deluder of our happinesse is the Proposition that is affirmed and remaineth to be proved Let us now come to the proof of