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
A40515	Select sermons preached upon Sundry occasions by John Frost ... ; now newly published together with two positions for explication and confirmation of these questions, I. Tota Christi justitia credentibus imputatur, 2, Fides justificat sub ratione instrumenti.	Frost, John, 1626?-1656.	1657 (1657)	Wing F2246; ESTC R31718	315,416	365

unknown God I hope not yet Brethren notwithstanding all our high-raised notions and speculations of God he is truely in a Scripture-sence unknown to so many of us as know him not 1. Experimentally The Devils have more notions of God then the greatest Philosophers in the world It is possible for a man to have many conceptions and be able accurately to distinguish and solidly to determine concerning the grace of God and yet in a Scripture-sence know nothing of it unless he taste and see that the Lord is gracious Nicodemus a master in Israel yet ignorant of the work of regeneration in respect of which an ordinary Christian may know more then the greatest Scholar I have read of one Didymus a blinde man whom for his incomparable learning S. Jerome was wont to call his Seer many such there are blind as to the abstruse notions of God but Seers in respect of experience which is the onely true saving knowledge of God 2. Practically and operatively as our knowledge influenceth upon our lives to conform them to what we know otherwise the Gospel and God are but notions to us and Scripture interprets it as a deniall of God They profess they know God but in works they deny Tit. 1. 16. him All our notions of God without this suitable practise can but amount to a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a form of knowledge not to any saving Rom. 2. 20. discovery If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them not John 13. 17. else If knowledge would do it the Devils might be in heaven The exprobratory sentence will be at last not well read or disputed great Scholar but well done thou good and faithfull servant Seneca speaks of some Philosophers of his days Boni esse desierunt simui ac docti evaserint who ceased to be good when they began to be learned I shall charitably believe no such will be found amongst us for I speak not these things as S. Paul saith to his Corinthians to shame you 1 Cor. 4. 14. but as my beloved Brethren and Friends I warn you and exhort you in the words of S. Peter to adde to your knowledge vertue that you 2 Pet. 1. 5. may be such as Seneca would have every teacher to be Magis miremur visum quàm auditum such as may be admired more for holiness of life then subtilty of learning which God accounts no knowledge if destitute of the study and practise of obedience Hereby know we that we know him if we keep his commandments He that 1 Joh. 2. 3 4 saith he knoweth him and keepeth not his commandments is a lyar and the truth is not in him Eighthly and lastly I beseech you Fathers and Brethren suffer the word of exhortation which quickens you to zeal and diligence in the dispensation of the Gospel committed to your trust that you may effect in your people by the preaching of the word what the highest improvements of nature as you have heard cannot reach to wit a saving knowledge of God God instituted the preaching of his word and Gospel to supply the defect of natural light the Apostle is express that when in the wisdome of God 1 Cor. 1. 21. the world by wisdome knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe God hath commissionated you on purpose as he did Paul to open mens eyes and turn them from Acts 26. 18. Mal. 2. 7. darkness to light The Priests lips must preserve knowledge that the people may seek the law at his mouth In order to bringing the people to a saving knowledge let me who would willingly lie as Disciple at your feet being by providence in this place take the boldness to give you a three-fold direction First Endeavour to bring those committed to your charge to a Scripture-knowledge of God Preach God not according to the abstruse Metaphysical notions of Plato and Aristotle all which Clemens Alexandrinus saith are but like a rotten nut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath no kernel nothing to feed souls which must have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the same Authour but according to the revelation God hath made of himself in Scripture Thus you shall approve your selves to God in the discharge of your office Empty aiery speculations may perhaps gratifie the humour phansie and curiositie of men but Scripture-truths onely please and honour God S. Pauls advice to Timothy is very remarkable Study to shew thy self 2 Tim. 2. 15. approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed and the way to that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rightly to divide the word of truth Secondly Preach a God in Christ. The Heathen can arrive at the knowledge of a God abstractly considered but a God in Christ is beyond the reach of natural sagacity but is your Commission to make known God saith the Apostle hath committed 2 Cor. 5. 19. unto us the word of reconciliation but what is that why that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself Lay this as the foundation of all your building Christ in his person and Christ in his offices Christ in opposition to nature in contradistinction to merit and your own works and righteousness Thirdly Let all your other knowledge stoop to the discovering God savingly and so far as it is not consistent with a plain and profitable discovery of God to the people lay it aside S. Paul though brought up at the feet of Gamaliel yet layd down his learning at the feet of Christ and professeth that though he spake with tongues more then they all yet in the Church he had rather 1 Cor. 14. 18 19. preach five words that he might teach others then ten thousand words in anunknown tongue At Athens indeed a famous University he quoteth a Poet Acts 17. vers 28 but when he comes to 1 Cor. 2. 2. his Corinthians then he determines to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non magni feci is Grotius gloss I valued no knowledge but disesteemed it that I might bring you to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as crucified Our Saviour Coloss 2. 3. who had in him all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge yet condiscended to the capacity of those whom he instructed speaking Mark 4. 33. the word to them as they were able to hear it In this Christ is a fit pattern for our imitation to teach us by a familiar plainness to descend to the understandings of the people Quomodò paratus esset impendi pro animabus eorum si eum pigeret inclinari ad aures eorum saith Augustin in his book De catechizandis rudibus Rev. 2. 4. In a word you are stars in the right hand of Christ which speaks both your security and your duty it is the office of stars to shine in the night with that light which they borrow from the Sun so