Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	commandment_n	keep_v	liar_n	1,680	5	11.3944	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09376	A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon the 11 chapter to the Hebrewes preached in Cambridge by that godly, and iudicious divine, M. William Perkins ; long expected and desired, and therefore published at the request of his executours, by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson, preachers of Gods Word, who heard him preach it, and wrote it from his mouth.	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.	1607 (1607)	STC 19677.5; ESTC S2273	415,205	614

is there that we haue kept his Commaundements are heere conuinced to be liers against the truth Then seeing it is so let this admonish vs all to seeke and serue God in all truth and sinceritie knowing wee serue him who will reward it Nothing more encourageth a man to serue his Lord and King then to see that his paines are regarded and his seruice rewarded nor more discourageth a man then the contrarie If therefore God did euer forget anie that serued him let vs bestowe seruice elsewhere and thinke him vnwoorthie to be sought to but if contrariwise hee neuer forgot nor deceiued nor disappointed anie that serued him then is hee most worthie to haue the seruice both of our soules and bodies Dauid indeede once said In vaine haue I cleansed my heart and washed my hands in innocencie But he was then in a strong temptation as himselfe there confesseth but afterwards when he went into the sanctuarie of God and searched the truth of the matter he confesseth he was deceiued And therefore as in the first verse hee had acknowledged that God was good to Israel so in the last he concludeth that it is good for him to draw neere vnto God and so though the temptation was very vehement yet as faith appeared in the beginning so it had victory in the end and testified that God is good to all that seeke him Another time also for he was a man of many sorrowes and temptations being in some extreame distresse his corruption so preuailed that he said All men are liers Whatsoeuer Samuel or God or Nathan and other Prophets haue told me of Gods loue and mercy and of his promises and prouidence and fatherly care I see it is all false and nothing so Now surely if Dauid or all the Kings in the world can proue this then God is not worthy to be sought after but great men thinke they may say any thing especially when they are moued as Dauid here was But when Dauid entred into himselfe considered the words he had so presumptuously vttred vpon better aduise hee confesseth and writes it vp for all posterities to Gods glory and his owne shame that it was in passion I said in my feare all men are liers This he said in his haste or in his feare but vpon aduise in the next verse hee confesseth Gods benefits were so many and so great to him as hee cannot tell what to render to the Lord for them And in another place he crieth out in admiration O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid vp for them that feare thee and put their trust in thee euen before the sonnes of men Wee see then that merciful promise of Christ is euer made good Seeke and ye shal finde Math. 6. None euer sought God but found Wee may seeke our owne pleasures and liue loosely and be deceiued and heare that fearefull question What profit haue ye now of these things Rom. 6. What reward but shame and sorrow but if we seeke God aright we neuer loose our labour Let vs therefore seeke God let the hand of our hearts knocke at Gods mercie gate in Christ and wee shall not goe away without a reward The prodigall childe fled from his Father spent all and lost his fauour but he no sooner said I will returne and humble my selfe to my Father but he found him and wan his Fathers fauour againe So let vs but offer our selues to seeke God God vnderstandeth our thoughts long before he will meet vs and receiue vs and giue vs a reward Thirdly as God rewardeth them that seeke him so all that seeke him None misse him all finde that seeke Great ones haue not accesse and the poore kept out but all receiued as they come no difference but the more carefullie anie seeke the more welcome are they Heere let Princes and Great men learne their duties at God by whose grace and permission they are what they are First let them thinke it vnbeseeming their greatnesse to let any serue them without a reward and a staine to their honour not to let well deseruing subiects finde their fauour Let them not daunt their hearts by not regarding them and their paines but let them encourage them to serue them by looking at them by good countenances and good speeches and by rewarding euery one according to his worth All great men should esteeme this as one of the pearles of their Crownes to haue it said of them Such a one is a rewarder of them that serue him Againe let them learne to dispence their fauour according to reason and not affection onely God is indifferent and equall to all that seeke him so let Princes be for that is true honor iustice to reward each one as he deserues And that hee may finde the best who doth best this will make euery one striue who should be first and forwardest in all seruiceable duties Further this must teach them not to despise them that are vnder them in this world for howsoeuer the state of this world requires that difference of persons else it cannot stand it is nothing so with God nor in the world to come For there the subiect the seruant the poore man may chalenge his part in Gods fauour as well as the best nay whosoeuer seeketh the most carefully shall finde the best reward Moreouer here is a comfort to the poore and the meaner sort of men who are appointed by God to be vnderlings in this world Seeke they fauour here and finde it not worke they here and doe their duties and are not rewarded Let them learne to seeke God who will assuredly both regard what they doe and abundantly reward it Fourthly seeing God is a rewarder of them that seeke him here is a comfortable encouragement against two great impediments which hinder many a man from seruing God First to seeke God is but a matter of mockerie to profane men for let a man set his face to Ierusalem there are presently Samaritanes which for that cause will hate and mocke him Let a man set his heart to seeke God by hearing the word more carefully praying to God instructing his family or keeping the Sabbaoth more carefully then afore and forthwith he is the laughing stocke and the byword to profane men but loe here is comfort The God whom thou seekest will reward thee and that so richly that thou wilt thinke thy selfe well recompenced both for thy seruice and their mockes In this world men care not who thinke or speake euill of them so the Prince like them and shall it not encourage vs to seeke God though the world mocke vs seeing so doing we please God and so farre doe please him as he will highly reward vs Those therefore that fall from religion for those mockers it appeares they seeke not to please God but men Secondly for a man that is a Magistrate or a Minister to doe his duty carefully is the high

therefore go to God by earnest prayer to giue vs his spirit to worke true faith in our hearts and to make vs of a true beliefe And secondly seeing men may be Christians in profession and Atheists in practice let vs all looke narrowly to our selues and ioyne with our profession Conscience and obedience for else the more we know God the worse we are It may please God after to giue vs better mindes but as yet we are no better then deniers of God and though wee come neere God in profession and in his outward seruice yet indeede we are farre from him because wee want that true faith which must professe God not in iudgement alone but in practice and that will bring vs neere vnto God for hee that commeth to God must beleeue that God is And thus much for the first thing to be beleeued by him that will come to God and please him The second is And that He is a rewarder of them that seeke him It is a notable sentence and one of the most comfortable in the booke of God and containes the second thing to be beleeued The parts are naturally two 1. How a man doth seeke God 2. How God rewards them that seeke him For the first A man truly seeketh God by doing foure actions First a man must forsake himselfe goe out of himselfe and as it were loose himselfe in his owne iudgement when he intends to seeke God If any aske how that may be I answer Thus A man must labour to see his sinnes fully and distinctly and in sight thereof be cast downe in himselfe as a man is when hee seeth his debts then let him looke into himselfe and see if hee can finde in himselfe any ability to pay those debts or any meanes in the world to satisfie Gods ●ustice and purchase pardon And if vpon due examination he finde none at all no not the least nor any thing in himselfe but an accusing and raging conscience Let him then fall out of all loue with himselfe nay hate and abhorre himselfe and his owne basenesse and lastly let him despaire of his owne saluation in or from himselfe and thus doing he forsakes himself denieth himselfe and euen looseth himselfe And thus necessarily must he do to himselfe that will set his heart to seeke the Lord. For God will be found of none that hope to finde helpe at any hand but his they therfore that seeke God but will seeke themselues too do iustly loose both God and themselues Secondly he that will seeke God aright when hee hath lost himselfe must hunger in his heart and soule not after wealth and honours ease or pleasures but after the fauour and mercy of God in Christ for the forgiuenesse of his sinnes and one drop of Christes bloud to wash away the guilt and staine of his defiled and sinfull soule must be dearer to him then all the pompe and glory of tenne worlds Looke how a hungry soule hungers after meate and a faintie soule thirsteth after drinke so must his soule hunger after Gods mercy and thirst for Christs bloud and these are necessary For as a man that vndertakes a long iourney must be prouided of meate and drinke so hee that vndertakes the iourney to goe seeke the Lord must haue this prouision for the diet of his poore soule Gods mercies and Christes merits and he that seeks without a soule hungring after these may seeke long and finde nothing Thirdly if he will truly seeke God he must not goe in euerie path but take the true liuing way which Christ hath consecrated by his bloud nor take any guide but trust to Christs spirit alone to be his guide nor make many mediators or messengers to God but make Christ alone to God the Father Wee must therefore goe to him and yeeld vp our selues to be taught and guided by him leaue our sute to be preferred by him we must not looke to come to God by running on pilgrimages to this or that Saints picture or bones or to our Lady of Loreto Many haue sought God in these but who euer found him Nay alas thou maist lodge in her forged tabernacle at Loreto all thy life and lie in hell for all that when thou art dead and maist kisse all the Saints pictures and bones and haire and all their reliques in Spaine and Italy and all cannot get thee one sight of Gods fauourable countenance Nor againe must we looke to come to God by our good works though we are to doe them they are good markes in the way and good euidences of a right way but they cannot open heauen and let thee in And therefore when thou hast done all thou canst thou must forsake them all in matter of iustification and comming to God Onely thou must goe to God by Christ and cleaue to him alone hee is the doore the way the truth the life and certainly neuer man found God that sought him not in Christ alone And when Popish deuises and distinctions haue done all they can men will be found liers and Christ to speak truth saying No man commeth to the Father but by me Lastly when all these are done then must thou beleeue that God is become thy mercifull Father in Christ and is reconciled vnto thee in him for there is no feare but if thou seeke God in Christ thou shalt finde him and when thou hast done the three former things thou maist safely and assuredly beleeue that thou hast truly sought God And after all these if thou haue not firme and liuely faith thou doest not secke God For as it is impossible without faith to please God so is it impossible without faith to finde God Thus if a man lose himselfe long after Gods mercy take Christ alone for his guide and mediator and stedfastly beleeue his reconciliation with God by Christ then he seekes God aright and to this seeking belongs a reward and blessing Now then if this be to seeke God here is some light giuen to a great question Whether the Church of Rome be a true Church and their doctrine truely catholique or erroneous and failing in fundamentall points For answer Can that be a true Church which doth not bring her children to seeke God or that catholique doctrine which teacheth not her children to seeke God the right way but sends them into 1000. by-wayes Surely if this be to seeke God then search all the Popish Doctors and almost all their Writers and see whether a man be not taught to seeke God quite in another walke Which way of theirs whether is ordinarily bring the seekers to God or no we leaue to Gods mercifull iudgement But for our selues as we see we haue the true liuing way the sure and infallible way by Christ to God by the Sonne to the Father let vs reioice in the comfort of so rich a mercie and be thankfull to the Lord for reuealing himselfe vnto vs and opening vnto vs the true way to him and to his

in the first place Heere then wee see in this order of dignitie that the first blessing of life euerlasting belongs to Iacob Esau must haue his blessing but in the second place Heere obserue these two thinges First Iacob is receiued into Gods couenaunt and Esau put by Iacob gets the principall blessing and Esau loseth it but what are these thinges so for Iacobs desert or for the default of Esau Nay verily The good pleasure of GOD is the chiefe cause heereof for touching the blessing if wee reade the Historie wee shall see that Esau at his Fathers commaundement went and hunted and tooke the paines and got his Father venison and tolde him nothing but truth But Iacob neuer went to hunt but gets a Kid dressed and comes to his Father with it and while hee talkes with his Father doth foully gloase and lie so that in all reason it might seeme that Esau deserued the better blessing yet GOD will haue it otherwise and the principall blessing belongs to Iacob Wherein wee may note that Gods speciall loue to man whereby hee receiues him into his couenaunt is not grounded on mans behauiour but on his owne good will and pleasure Secondly in that Iacob heere had the principall blessing wee learne that the counsell of GOD doth ouerrule the will of man For Father Isaac had purposed to haue blessed Esau with the chiefest blessing but yet Gods counsell was contrarie and the same ouer-rules Isaacs will For though Isaac had cause to suspect that it was not Esau both because hee came so soone as also for that the voice was apparant not to be Esaus but Iacobs voice yet Gods counsell ouer-ruled his will and when hee came to handle his sonnes handes hee could not discerne betweene a Kiddes skinne and the skinne of a man what 's the cause heereof Surely it was Gods will and counsell that Iacob should haue the chiefest blessing and therefore hee ouer-rules Isaacs will and blindes his senses and makes him to blesse Iacob with the chiefest blessing The consideration heereof is profitable vnto vs for it is a receiued opinion with many at this day that GOD did purpose to saue all men Now when question is made Why then are not all men saued They answer because men will not though God will But this opinion is erroneous for it makes mans will to ouer-rule GODs counsell as if they should say GOD willeth it not because men will it not or else which is worse God willeth it but it commeth not to passe because man will not doe it But Gods will and counsell is the highest and chiefest cause of al looke whatsoeuer he willeth that bringeth he to passe and because all men are not saued therfore we may safely thinke and say that God did neuer decree to saue all men Now further more particularly of Iacobs blessing first it may be asked How could Iacob bee blessed seeing hee came dissemblingly and lying to his father Answ. Wee must knowe that howsoeuer Iacob sought the blessing by fraude yet he might bee blessed for he failed not neither did amisse in seeking for the blessing but onely in the manner of seeking it it was his duty to seeke it though not after that manner which hee did hee should rather haue staied that leisure and time wherein God had caused Isaac to haue blessed him without his sinne in seeking it Secondly consider the manner how Iacob receiues his fathers blessing namely in his elder brother Esaus garment Here we may see a notable resemblance of Gods maner of blessing vs When wee looke for a blessing at Gods hand wee must not come in our owne garments in the rotten ragges of our owne righteousnes but we must put on Christs garment the long white robe of his righteousnes And so comming vnto God as Isaac said of the sauor of Esaus garments which Iaacob had put on Gen. 27.27 28. Behold the smell of my sonne is as the smell of a field God giue thee therefore of the dewe of heauen and the fatnesse of the earth and plenty of wheate and wine So will God say vnto vs that the righteousnesse of Christ which wee haue put on by faith is a sweet smelling sauor in his nosthrils Ephes. 5.2 Now seeing all the blessings we enioy come to vs in Christ and our acceptance with God is in his righteousnes we therefore must labour to put on Christ euery day by becoming new creatures we must seeke to resemble him in knowledge righteousnesse and holinesse so shall our assurance increase of Gods blessings vpon vs more and more Lastly marke that howsoeuer Iaacob was blessed otherwise than Isaac had purposed yet after the blessing is pronounced it must needes stand for so when Esau came Isaac said vnto him I haue blessed Iacob therefore hee shall be blessed Eph. 27.33 Euen so the Ministers of Gods word in the assembly of the Church who haue power to pronounce Gods blessings vpon the people howsoeuer they be but weake men and may be deceiued beeing subiect to error as other men are yet when they pronounce Gods blessing vpon their congregation in the ministery of the word if they doe it in sinceritie of heart and vprightnesse of conscience that blessing shall stand And so on the contrary looke whom they curse for iust cause out of Gods word their curse shall stand Further as Isaac blessed but knewe not whom so the Ministers of God in the dispensation of the word they must blesse Gods people thogh they know not who they are particularly that doe receiue it Thus much of Isaacs blessing Iacob Now I come to his blessing of Esau for hee also was blessed as the Text saith yet in the second place albeit he were the elder brother Quest. How could Esau be blessed at all seeing Isaac had but one blessing Answ. Esau was only blessed with temporall blessings and not with spirituall Obiect But some wil say Esau was a bad man wicked now it is said that to the impure all things are impure how then could the bestowing of tēporal things be blessings to him An. Temporall things bestowed on the wicked are blessings no blessings they are blessings in regard of God that giues them but they are no blessings in regard of men that receiue them and vse them amisse Quest. How came it to passe that Esau beeing the elder brother looseth his birth-right and blessing both how came it to be Iaacobs Answ. The cause was his profanenesse as wee may see and read in the next chapter where it is said Heb. 12.16 that he solde his birth-right for a portion of meate euen for a messe of redde broth and beeing so profane as to contemne so high an honour hee must bee content to haue his blessing in the second place And hence we may obserue a good instruction There is many a yong man in these our daies baptized as Esau was circumcised and liuing in the Church as hee did in Isaacs house who

Iuda who as we may read 2. Kings 20. beeing sore sicke euen vnto death was restored to health and obtained of GOD the lengthening of his daies for the space of fifteene yeares Which wonderfull recouery hee obtained by meanes of his faith which hee shewed in time of his sicknesse by a prayer he made vnto God the substance wherof stood in these two things First beeing very sicke hee praied for the pardon of his sinnes This appeareth by his thanksgiuing vpon his recouery Isay 38.17 where hee confesseth that God had cast all his sinnes behinde his backe Now looke for what hee gaue thanks that no doubt hee had before begged of God in praier Secondly hee made request vnto GOD for prolonging of his daies for some reasons which did concerne himselfe and this hee also prayed for in faith Now the reasons moouing him to pray for longer life were these First hee had then no issue to succeed him in his Kingdome and therefore hee praied for life to beget a childe which might sit vpon his throne after him And the ground of this praier was this GOD had made a particular promise vnto Dauid and Salomon 1. Kings 8.25 that they should not want issue after them to sit vpon the Throne of Israel so that their children tooke heede to their way to walke before the LORD as Dauid did Now King Hezekiah knowing this promise had regard hereunto and building himself hereon his conscience bearing him witnesse that hee had walked before the Lord vprightly hee praies for issue to succeed him and for that cause he desires strength of body and length of daies This appeareth notably by his praier 2. King 20.3 Lord saith he I beseech thee now remember how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart The summe of his praier is this All the kings succeeding Dauid and Salomon which walke in Gods commandements shall haue issue to sit on their thrones after them Now from hence he praies thus Oh Lord I haue walked before thee in truth and sincerity of heart and hereupon the conclusion followes grant me issue to sit vpon my throne after me and therefore life and health to accomplish the same Secondly he praied that he might liue to glorifie God in that weighty calling wherein God had placed him ouer his people This appeareth likewise by his thanksgiuing vnto the Lord vpon his recouery where hee saith Isay 38.20 ●he Lord was ready to saue me therefore wee will sing my song all the daies of our life in the house of the Lord. Thus by his worthy praier hee shewed forth his faith notably by vertue whereof beeing sicke vnto death hee obtained of the Lord the prolonging of his daies for the space of fifteene yeares And so we see to whom this seauenth effect of faith is to be referred Here we are taught a speciall duty for the recouery of our health in the time of sickenesse to wit before wee vse the ordinary meanes of Physicke wee must according to this example first put our faith in practice by humbling our selues for our sinnes past confessing them truely vnto God and praying for pardon from a resolute purpose of heart to lead a newe life and also by intreating health of God and his good blessing vpon the meanes which we shall vse for our recouery Thus haue other of Gods seruants done beside Hezekias When Dauid was grieuously sicke the principal thing he did was this practice of faith in humbling his soule before God for his sinnes and intreating earnestly the pardon of them as we may see Psa. 6. 38. This is the principal thing which in those Psalms is propounded of Dauid And so the Apostle counsels Iam. 5.14 15 Is any man sicke among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and what must they doe Surely first pray for him and then as the custome was in those daies anoint him with oyle in the name of the Lord. And the praier of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp againe and if hee haue committed any sinne it shall be forgiuen him And here we must be admonished to beware of the bad practices of the world in this case the most men in their sickenesse first seeke to the Physicians and if that faile them they send for the Minister This was King Asa his practice for which hee is branded to all posteritie that beeing diseased in his feete hee sought vnto Physicians and not vnto the Lord 2. Chron. 16.12 though otherwise hee had good things in him as 1. King 15.14 And many do farre worse who seeke to witches and inchanters when they or theirs are in such distresse but this is to forsake God and to seeke help of the diuel like to Ahaziah who sent to Baalzebub the God of Ekron to know of his recouery when he was sicke vpon a fall 2. Kings 1.2 This should be far from all Gods children for as Ahaziahs sickenesse became deadly through his sending to Baalzebub so vndoubtedly many diseases become incurable by the bad and preposterous dealing of the Patient who either vseth vnlawfull meanes or lawfull meanes disorderedly or trusting therein Wee therefore in this case must remember our duty in the practice of faith as Hezekiah did The eight fruit of faith is this Waxed valiant in battell This effect may well bee vnderstood of all the Iudges before named and of all the good Kings in Iuda and Israel But yet there be two especially to whom wee may more peculiarly referre it to wit Samson and Dauid For Samson he by meanes of faith came to be so mighty Iudg. 15.15 that with the Iawe bone of an asse he slew a thousand Philistims And for Dauid he likewise was so incouraged by faith that with the same sling wherewith he kept his fathers sheepe which was but a slender weapon for warre hee encountred with Goliah that huge Philistim and hit him with a stone in the forehead and slew him Both these facts were the fruits of their faith which made them bolde to encounter with these mighty enemies In this effect of their faith first wee may obserue that true fortitude and manhood right valour and courage comes from true faith It must bee graunted that many heathen men had great strength and courage but indeed it was but a shadow of true valour for right valour coms from a beleeuing heart And therefore it is said that these Iudges and Princes of Israel waxed strong in battell by faith Secondly Doth true faith make men valiant in battell Then should the preaching of the word bee set vp and maintained as well in the Campe and Guarison and among Souldiers on the Seas as in Cities and Townes of peace For the preaching of the word is the meanes of this faith which giues valour in battell to them that fight in a good cause Hence it was that the Lord inioyned by Moses that when the people of Israel went out to battell the Priests