Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	deed_n	light_n	manifest_a	2,272	5	9.7572	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88993	A sermon preached to the Honorable House of Commons, at their late solemne fast, Wednesday, Feb. 26. 1644. / By John Maynard, minister of the Word of God at Mayfield in Sussex, and a member of the Assembly of Divines.	Maynard, John, 1600-1665.	1645 (1645)	Wing M1452; Thomason E277_2; ESTC R200000	34,511	39

Differences in judgement about things directly relating to conscience are to be pitied in contemplation of the common imbecillity of mans understanding But when men for sinister ends delight to make rents or cherish factions this is fearfull let none such deceive themselves God is not mocked In extraordinary times such as these upon which the providence of God hath cast us men have extraordinary opportunities of doing God more then ordinary service and on the other side they have extraordinary occasion of bringing more then ordinary guilt upon themselves and wrath upon their posterity This is a time when those who have hearts to improve it may wonderfully further their account and a time when men may exceedingly aggravate their condemnation 3. Let me beseech you to go on as you have begun in opening a free passage and procuring a free trade and open market for the truth of God that all may have liberty and be encouraged to buy and furnish themselves And for this end to remove of obstructions in restraining the spreading of grosse and dangerous errours and heresies I am confident in your wisedome and piety that ye are far from entertaining those motions for an unlimited and prodigious licentiousnesse which some have seemed to plead for What were this but to make port-sale of the truth if not rather to give over the protection of truth and to expose it to be spoiled sacked and plundred in a promiscuous way by all sorts of enemies Let it bee free for all sorts to buy any truth of God but let not Satans factours and pedlars have liberty to vent his falshoods Object Object But some may say either ye must give liberty to all or else shew no indulgence to any who doe not in every point comply with that which is established by authority Answ I answer I was never yet able to understand this Logick the consequence seemeth very strange I am sure it will not be admitted in Chirurgery if a man be constrained to cut off a limme desperately infected with a gangrene must he therefore part with an usefull member for every little inflammation and distemper That famous Emperour Theodosius did not only bear with the Novatians but countenance and familiarly consult with some of them about Church-affairs though differing in matter of discipline being sound in the Faith and having pastors of eminent gifts and godlinesse And it is recorded of Constantine that though he made a law in terrorem which was so comprehensive that these were obnoxious to it yet in point of execution he spared them And the Apostle maketh a cleer difference of one sort he saith A man that is an heretike after the first and second admonition reject knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himselfe Of the other he writeth in a far different straine Him that is weak in the Faith receive ye but not to doubtfull disputations For one beleeveth that he may eat all things another who is weak eateth herbes Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth and the reason is very observable For God hath received him Surely much respect is to bee had to those who give forth strong convincing evidences that God hath received them and that they have received his Truth in love If those are to bee tenderly dealt with in whom there is aliquid Christi something of Christ how much more they in whom there is plurimum Christi very much of Christ much of that unction wherewith hee was anointed above his fellowes much of those graces which serve for the edifying of his mysticall body and much of those which accompany salvation There is a passage recorded which hapned between Anthony of Bourbon King of Navari● and the Ambassadour of Denmark The King being a Peere of France and first Prince of the blood challenged the Regency of that kingdom during the French Kings minority and told the Danish Ambassadour that he hoped in short time to procure a free passage for the Gospel throughout the Kingdome of France the Ambassadour shewed himselfe pleased with this but withall admonished him to take care that Luthers doctrine not Calvins might passe for current the King replyed Luther and Calvin agree in forty points against the Pope and differ from each other but in one let those then who follow the severall tenents of these two joyn their strength against the common enemy and at better leisure in a more convenient season compound their own differences I am perswaded it is far from your Christian Wisdom and moderation to esteem alike of those who obstinately shut their eyes against the bright beams of truth where it shineth out with full rayes those who vary from you in lesser things wherein Scripture-light is not so cleer but that good eyes may judge diversly and hearts cordially affected to the truth may for a time dissent I grant much prudence and many cautions are needfull as 1. That the persons be known to be modest pious and peaceable lest some of another spirit for evill ends should make claime to and so abuse such a liberty 2. That all bitternesse insolency turbulency of spirit all reproachfull language and tumultuous carriages be forborne for these I am sure are no parts of liberty of conscience 3. That no Church-meetings for worship be allowed but in places known that there may be free accesse for any in which respect I have often commended both the wisedome and ingenuity of the French Protestants who in one of their Treaties of peace I take it made this motion that some officer of the King might be deputed to be present at their assemblies for preventing of State-jealousies and vulgar calumnies For he that doeth truth commeth to the light that his deedes may bee made manifest that they are wrought in God Many other meanes the Lord may suggest unto you for the ordering of things in such a way that some mens priviledge may not be other mens prejudice but that brethren may walk together in love so far as they have attained untill the Lord may please to give farther light 4. It is a busines worthy of your care to encourage the Ministers of the Gospel with a competent and comfortable maintenance that they may attend upon their calling without destraction and that their hands may be strengthened in the work of the Lord in so doing ye shall be fellow-helpers to the Truth for these are persons entrusted by the Lord as his agents to call in men to buy his truth And for the same cause be pleased also to vindicate them from the foul reproaches of those who have The poison of aspes under their lips A faithfull Minister may say with the Apostle With me it is a very small or the least thing that I should be judged of you or of mans judgement But let it be considered whether the truth be not concerned

charge in a quick and pressing stile 1. Take fast hold of instruction 2. Let her not go 3. Keep her and fasteneth all with this knot for she is thy life If thou lose her it is more than thy life is worth it were better to part with thy dearest heart-blood if thou get and keep the Truth it will keep thee alive in the very jawes of death if thou lose it thou art dead whilest thou livest and in the road-way to everlasting death What need we any farther witnesse yet if ye please to hear an argument or two take these briefly Reason 1 1. Whilest we are travailing here in this world toward our long home our way lieth through a wildernesse wherein are many by-pathes multitude of passengers wandring out of the right way abundance of snares and dangers and above all we are wofully benighted with the naturall darknesse and blindnesse of our mindes now Truth is that Pillar of fire which should guide us in the way wherein we must walk and direct us to the promised rest And though this Truth be never so cleerly held forth unto us in the ministry of the gospel yet unlesse we buy it and get possession of it so as to make it our own and to have it dwelling in us we are not able to follow it It is not enough to have the light of the Sun except withall there be a light in the eye to meet with that light without and take it in so that lumen externum that externall light of Truth which shineth forth in the word will never lead us to that rest which remaineth for the people of God except there be also lumen internum an inward light of Truth and principle of saving knowledge set up in the heart The Apostle having notably magnified his office as in other respects so in regard of that lustre and brightnesse of Divine Truth which shined in his Ministry 2 Cor. 3. proceedeth in the next chapter and saith that he had not handled the word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth c. It must be objected What is the cause then that your Gospel is hidden to many thousands his answer is ready If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which beleeve not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them They want inward light Satan the prince of darknes hath filled them with darknesse within they will not buy the Truth and so the Gospel of Christ though it shineth out never so gloriously in it selfe yet it shineth not at all to them as the Sun when it giveth the greatest light shineth not to the blind 2. If we do not buy Truth the Truth will witnesse against us and condemne us A necessity lyeth upon us either wee must make the Truth our owne or else we shall be sure to have it our Enemy Consider that weighty speech of Christ He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day Who is he that rejecteth Christ he that doth not receive his words he that doth not buy Truth but shutteth his eyes or heart against that light of Truth which shineth from the face of this Sun of Righteousnesse These men perhaps may think in their hearts We will have nothing to do with this which they call Truth for which there is so much contention nor with the way wherein it leadeth those that receive it we will neither embrace nor oppose it Nay but saith Christ this will not serve thy turne either thou must receive it or be judged by it if thou doest not buy this Truth and embrace it with thine whole heart it will condemn thee at the last day If men could apprehend with what Majesty and authority that Truth of God which now they cast behinde their backs will appear against them in the day of Christ how would their Souls tremble to despise it How would they yeeld themselves convinced that the purchase of Truth is of absolute necessity whatsoever it may cost them The proudest spirits which now may think to out-face the Truth of God shall then not be able to hold up their faces before it So much for the proofe and opening of this point Let us see the Use of it and that may be 1. For Reproofe 2. For Exhortation Use 1 1. For Reproofe 1. of those who are so farre from buying truth that they labour to stop the trade Such were those Expounders of the Law to whom the Lord Christ saith ye have taken away the key of knowledge ye entred not in your selves and them that were entring in ye hindred they kept the store-house of truth locked up and carried away the key How many have we had of late in this land led by such a spirit who when the truth had many buyers beheld it with an evill eye like the Pharisees complaining of the multitudes that followed Christ the world is gon after him It was a vexation to their false hearts to see the streame of trade bend towards the Coasts of truth and especially when any upon whose habitations was a famine of the word travailed abroad to buy themselves a little food But how are we bound to blesse God who hath stirred up your spirits like so many Josephs already to open many to indeavour to open all the store-houses of truth in the Land that none may complaine of want who have hearts to buy No wonder if the enemies of truth oppose you in this worke It crosseth their maine designe He that doth evill hateth the light and cometh not to the light lest his deedes should be reproved Can the Blackmore change his skinne or the Leopard his spots Doe we expect a reconcilement betweene light and darkenesse Let all tremble to give them the right hand of fellowship in stopping the course of the word of truth and hindring the worke of reformation 2. Of those that are ashamed of the truth what hope is there that such will buy it He that will buy it must looke upon it as his crowne The Church was presented to John in a vision cloathed with the Sun and the Moone under her foote and upon her head a Crowne of twelve Stars The Churches cloathing and her Crown is Light and Truth Can any true-borne Childe of the Church account that his shame which is his Mothers glorie Let such weigh those words of him who is not ashamed to call himselfe the Truth Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinfull generation of him also shall the Sonne of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angells 3. Of those who will not take so much paines as to resort to