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
A48737	Solomons gate, or, An entrance into the church being a familiar explanation of the grounds of religion conteined in the fowr [sic] heads of catechism, viz. the Lords prayer, the Apostles creed, the Ten commandments, the sacraments / fitted to vulgar understanding by A.L.	Littleton, Adam, 1627-1694.	1662 (1662)	Wing L2573; ESTC R34997	164,412	526

thriftly husband thy means that they may hold out to secure thee against want and to enable thee for Charity Thou shalt not live an idle life nor take ill courses and follow dishonest wayes of get as cheating gaming c. but shalt take pains in some honest calling and shalt learn to labour and get thy own living in that state of life wherein God shall place thee that thou mayst eat the labour of thy hands and it may be well with thee that thou mayst provide things fashionable for thy self and thy relations and mayst have wherewith to exercise Charity toward them that are in want Let us now take a view of our selves how our carriage has answer'd this Command Was ever more injustice and illegal oppression then of late years amongst us Has not covetousness been the root of all our evils Have not the possessions of the Crown and the Church been made the spoils of War and the reward of villany Have not men of quiet spirits been render'd Delinquents for their estates and their greatest crime been their wealth when 't was enough to make one Malignant to have any thing to loose and the great art of the Usurpers was to secure their fears jealousies by satisfying their avarice and make good their title to government by getting the riches of the people in their power What plundring and pillaging what rifling and robberies have been practis'd what Sequestrations Compositions Decimations Contributions and other unheard of injuries and insolencies have been Committed upon the loyal gentry and poor commonalty what havock has been made of Sacred things and how has Sacriledge been justified by her children when Intruders have been bold to expostulate with God and quarrel the Iustice of man that they are forc'd to give place to the right owners and restore unjust possessions How have the noble and the learned been turn'd out by force of their ancient demeans and just preferments to seek their bread How have the old bounds been remov'd and the publick coffers exhausted How are great estates amass'd by cheat and cou●enage and private men swoln up with ill-got wealth How is charity neglected hospitality shut out of doors and the love to the poor grown cold How many idle dishonest wayes of living are kept on foot How does the number of Beggers daily increase to the shame of authority that neither imployes the able nor relieves the weak How miserable and close are men upon honest designs How profuse and lavish upon their lusts How doe we murmur at the disposals of providence and how ready are we with our private discontents to disturb the publick peace What need then have we to cry out with the Church Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law The ninth Commandement The eighth requires truth in our dealings This in our discourse and speech That provided for our estate and fortune This for our credit and reputation That secures our Goods This our Good name which is of deerer concern then any other possession for a good name is better then life it self Murder Adultery Theft are forbidden in the other three This prohibits a Lye which is the cloak and cover of all other sins and likely accompanyes them especially this last to a proverbial observation A Lyar and a Thief THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS Thou shalt not be a lying witness sayes the Vulgar i.e. Thou shalt not make or tell a lye concerning or against thy neighbour The Greek doubles it Thou shalt not falsly witness a false testimony taking in the distinction of a lye into material and formal To speak an untruth and say that which in it self is not so though I perhaps may think it so is a material Lye for though I am true to my own thought by speaking as I think yet I am not right to the thing this is a false testimony Again to speak contrary to my own sense though possibly the thing I say be true is a formal Lye for though I be mistaken and the thing be otherwise then I think it is yet if I speak otherwise then I think I lye and this is to witness falsly So then we have a double care lyes upon us to speak according to the thing and according to our thought when our words agree with our thoughts and our thoughts agree with the things themselves when the mind represents the object aright and the tongue doth as truly report the mind The Hebrew as if it meant mainly the concerns of truth in judicial proceedings has it thus Thou shalt not answer as a witness of falshood to wit when the Magistrate puts a question to thee and requires to know the truth But the meaning of it is to be enlarg'd to all affairs and so in Deuteronomie 't is express'd a witness of vanity which implyes rash censure reproaches and vain speeches c. AGAINST THY NEIGHBOUR or for thy neighbour in thy neighbour's cause and behalf c. for the preposition carryes a great latitude of sense And 't is no less a wrong to Truth and Iustice to speak a Lye in favour as to speak it out of malicē 't is Iustice and Truth which are consider'd in Gods Commands more then interest and benefit Who our neighbour is our Saviour in his Parable has told us all mankind all that we have or may have to doe with whether they live neer or far off though God does allow in some cases degrees of charity according to Relation neighbour hood countrey c. The meaning of this Commandement is this Thou shalt in all thy discourse take heed to Truth and speak according to thy conscience nor shalt thou conceal what thou knowest when my glory or the benefit of thy neighbour requires it Thou shalt not give in a false evidence nor plead a wrong cause nor favour injustice nor tell a lye to advantage Thou shalt not knowingly say that which thou thinkest to be false with a purpose to deceive others nor shalt thou be over confident in affirming what thou art not sure of Thou shalt not basely dissemble and pretend one thing and mean another for God is the God of truth Thou shalt not speak or think ill of any one in thy heart by entertaining evil surmises and taking up a reproach or ill report against him Thou shalt not be curious to spye out his faults nor critical and censorious nor shalt thou slander him with thy tongue or speak ill of him behind his back and flatter him to his face but thou shalt make the best of his actions put the fairest interpretation upon his carriage Thou shalt speak all the good of him thou knowst and cover his failings believe and hope the best and not give ear to all thou hearest in all thy converse shew thy self ingenuous and open breasted to think no evil of him and to acknowledge what thou seest good in him and be

that makes such interpretations of the will of God as that his good pleasure or everlasting purposes should thwart the manifestations of his will which he hath made in his word For instance God saith that he would not the death of a sinner but rather that he should repent and live And his Apostle saith that he would have all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth He then that shall teach that God hath absolutely predestin'd any sinner to damnation and by irreversible decrees concluded him under an impossibility of repentance layes an imputation upon God's veracity and makes him if not a lyar yet which is the worse of the two a dissembler to say he desires their life when he hath by an irrevocable decree prejudg'd them to unavoidable death and with all arguments of love to invite them to come to heaven when he hath long before they were born shut the gates against them By his decrees he hath from the beginning set down with himself what shall be in time foresees and orders all events to his own end insomuch that one tittle of his word shall not pass away till he have accomplish'd his full will and brought about his own purposes Poor weak men want strength and policy to perfect designs and many times we are cut of in the mid-way by an untimely death But God's counsels are laid deep and he is of an infinite power and lives to do what he doth to the uttermost Nor yet does he act so absolutely as to take from second causes their freedom of acting or impose a necessity upon man's will to force it this way or that Far be it from any sober heart to think that God can in any sense be the authour of sin Should this doctrine obtein in any man's mind that all his actions are from all eternity predetermin'd by God so that he must needs do what he doth and cannot possibly do otherwise I should desire that it may onely be consider'd what direfull consequences will naturally insue from such a persuasion when 't is in good earnest own'd and liv'd after and whether all the villany and mischief in the world will not find hence a ready justification Not to say how vain and useless all reason counsels debates exhortations and reproofs all that by which we are men or Christians the use of ministry and ordinances and all the arguments for a virtuous and a godly life would prove with one that were obstinately possest with this opinion and were resolv'd to live according to it But 't is safer for us to consult God's precepts then tamper overboldly with his decrees and to study his will in his commands with humility adoring the wisedom and righteousness of his unsearchable counsels These he hath reserv'd to himself and locked up from us as the Arcana imperii The other he hath plainly made known unto us and proclaim'd them in his word and we hear the sound of them in our eares O that they might also sink into our hearts to doe them By these we shall at last be tryed when every one shall receive according to his works nor will the decrees of God prejudice that soul which hath duly observ'd his commands or secure those who wilfully break them Scripture is the plain rule which we are to walk by the book of decrees is that sealed book which none but the Lamb is worthy to open We ought to study our duty more then destiny Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart and thy neighbour as thy self are flat commands that require absolute obedience But the promises and threatnings of God are under condition and God will make righteous judgement and be found no respecter of persons when Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of our Father which is in Heaven BE DONE God's decrees are done upon us his commands are to be done by us those require our submission these our performance And indeed our whole duty is made up of a passive and active obedience whereby we willingly bear what evils God is pleased to send and as readily doe what good he bids us But why doe we pray that God's will may be done since his decrees will come to pass though we pray not and his commands 't is our part to perform The reason is for the first to shew our compliance with God's will for the second to desire God's assistance since without the aids of his grace we are not able to doe any thing as we ought ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN That men here below may as willingly submit to his good pleasure and pay as chearfull and constant obedience to his commands as the Saints and Angels above doe who alwayes stand in his presence in a readiness to serve him who never quarrel at any of his appointments or grudge at any pains they put themselves to praising him continually falling down before him and ascribing power and dominion and glory to him that sitteth on the throne and to the Lamb All the business they have to doe there and to spend their time at is the singing of Hallelujahs and delighting themselves in seeing the face of God and meditating on his goodness They have no other imployment but the contemplation and enjoyment of the chiefest good and count it their happion to be taken up alwayes with these thoughts oh what a heavenly life should we lead here on earth if we could but thus throw all our desires at God's feet contenting our selves with his disposals not trouble our selves with the cares of this life but count it our meat and drink to do his will to obey him and trust in him though he should kill us to doe and suffer any thing for his sake and think it our honour that we are thought worthy to breath after heaven mind heavenly things and whilst we are in this valley of the shadow of death prepare our selves for eternity by doing that here in this life which will be the whole imployment of the next To gather up the sum of the whole petition 't is this That God would give us patient and chearful spirits so far that we may resign up our selves and our interests wholly into his hand and submit to his good pleasure possess our souls with patience and count that condition best which God out of his infinite wisdom and tender care thinks fittest for us as being well assured that he doth all for the best that he loves us better then we our selves do That we should thankfull acknowledge his goodness in his preservations of us and provisions for us And if at any time he chastise us with wants and distresses and exercise us with afflictions to entertain them as messages of his love and tokens of his kindness not to murmur or repine under the cross think we are hardly dealt with but to account it great joy and

as tender of his reputation as of thy own Thou shalt not be double-minded nor hasty in thy promises nor false in thy purposes but sincere and constant that thy sayings and doings may agree Thou shalt bridle thy tongue and avoid foolish speaking and let no rotten communication come out of thy mouth but with steady gravity weigh thy words aforehand speak to edification Thou shalt not discover secrets committed to thy trust nor vainly babble of every thing thou know'st nor yet conceal necessary truths but be faithful and trusty in thy silence and discreet in thy speech Thou shalt not be churlish of difficult address and hard to be spoke with nor yet full of insignificant complement and artificial craft but shalt shew thy self courteous and affable ready to hear and to answer Thou shalt not be clownish and rude in thy converse nor yet act the buffoon by abusing Scripture or jeering thy betters or other foolish drollery but use civil chearful language and according to thy company and occasion fit thy discourse Thou shalt not be over-forward and magisterial in finding faults nor yet cowardly and fearful of displeasing but tell thy neighbour freely of his sin when thy duty requires it of thee and opportunity invites Thou shalt not impudently proclaim thy sin and brag of thy evil doings nor be too confident in boasting of thy gifts but leave it rather to a stranger to commend thee nor yet to shift duty or out of vain glory speak meanly of thy self and lessen thy endowments but shalt put a just value upon thy self and thy parts that they may be useful and be wanting in no fair and modest way to keep up thy credit and maintain thy reputation Above all thou shalt by a blameless conversation indeavour to keep a good conscience before God and a good name among men and do those things which may make thee well spoken of And yet thou shalt not be over fond neither of thy reputation so as to affect applause but design rather to live to conscience then to same and whilst thou dischargest thy duty not to look on good report as thy reward nor to be discouraged by evil report from doing good and to mind more what thou dost then what others say or think of thee and refer thy self to God who sees in secret and will make righteous judgement If we call our selves to an account for this Commandement and say we have no sin we deceive our selves and there is no Truth in us How has Truth fail'd amongst us How have our Prophets who should have been the Ministers of truth prophesied lyes in the Name of the Lord calling good bad and bad good and pretended the Lord sent them when he sent them not How have our Courts of Iustice been fill'd with falshoods and iniquity been enacted by a Law How have false witnesses and wicked Iudges rose up and sentenced the righteous and condemned the innocent How has Iustice been perverted to wrong ends and Law been made an instrument of oppression How have we in this Hypocritical age lyed and dissembled to one another and spoken with a heart and a heart with flattering lips and a deceitfull tongue How have we flatter'd the wicked whom God hated and slander'd the footsteps of the righteous How disingenuous are we how quick-sighted to spye moats in others eyes and not see the beams in our own How apt to magnifie our selves and think meanly of others How ready to believe every flying report to take all things that another does in the worst sense How little trust or honesty to be met with How perfidious and false how cunning and close how ill-natur'd and sullen have most men been With what starch'd gravi●y and pretences of sanctity have we impos'd upon one another What vain babling and filthy talk obscenity and scurrility are abroad in the world How forward are we to censure others to speak the worst of every body and to find fault with our superiours and meddle with things that concern us not How doe we prize the commendation of men and yet slight conscience and cannot endure to be spoken ill of nor yet be at the pains to doe well How highly doe we esteem reputation and value a good name and yet care not our selves to be good and lead a blameless life free from great offences Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law All the other Commandements doe more immediately order the outward man the first and the tenth look inward and regulate the thoughts and the desires The first Commandement is the ground-work o● Religion and the tenth the top-stone of Morality That injoyning the Fear of God and This requiring Contentedness and self-denyal Atheism affronts the Worship of God and Covetousness disorders the Society of Men That will acknowledge no God and This will have no Neighbour Wherefore 't is well plac'd at the bottom of the second table as the Master-sin the great enemy of Charity and that which all the other transgressions resolve themselves into The other precepts indeed hold thy hand that thou mayst doe thy neighbour no wrong This holds thy heart that thou mayst wish him none Here is the sin forbidden Thou shalt not Covet and the object particularly express'd either for profit or pleasure Thy Neighbour's house his wife his man servant his maid his ox and his ass and then generally propos'd nor any thing that is thy neighbour's THOU SHALT NOT COVET or desire This strikes at inordinate affections at concupiscence which is that root of bitterness Thou shalt not out of envy to thy neighbour or out of love to thy self for so one of the words in Deuteronomie signifies Thou shalt not desire to thy self desire any thing away from him THY NEIGHBOUR'S HOUSE his convenience of habitation the place of his abode where he has pitch'd his tent for his security and gather'd the comforts of his life about him be it a fairer or stronger building seated in a better aire encompass'd with better neighbours and furnish'd with better commodities of life THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOUR'S WIFE This is not a distinct command from the former for 't is the act not the object which makes the sin and so the Apostle quotes it Thou shalt not covet and 't is plain that House Wife are not meant for several precepts though the one be coveted out of Avarice the other out of Lust for here follow other things in the former way of coveting as the Ox and the ass but for particular instances only the enumertaion therefore ending with an c. and all that is thy Neighbour's The House is reckon'd first and then the housekeeper the Wife to teach the man that he must first provide a livelyhood and way of subsistence before he think of a wife and to put the woman in mind that she ought to be a Hous-wife not to be a gadder abroad or live at random