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	reprove_v	2,125	5	10.3012	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37045	Heaven upon earth in the serene tranquillity and calm composure, in the sweet peace and solid joy of a good conscience sprinkled with the blood of Jesus and exercised always to be void of offence toward God and toward men : brought down and holden forth in XXII very searching sermons on several texts of Scripture ... / by James Durham.	Durham, James, 1622-1658.; J. C.	1685 (1685)	Wing D2815; ESTC R24930	306,755	418

Eyes behind intimating that tender Christians should have and in some measure indeed have an eye as we use to speak of very watchful and accuratly observing persons in their neck looking to what sticks and cleaveth to their heels as it were when they have past any Action or Duty as the word is Psal. 49. 5. Where the Psalmist speaketh of the iniquity of his heels compassing him about As knowing well that in every step of his way he leaveth some ●oul vestige or print behind him and therefore looketh back on it This then we propose as a piece and a special piece of a tender walk viz. That Christians not only deliberat before they do and look to Conscience while they are adoing but that also they reflect and look back upon the Action when it is done and past To clear this a little further there are Three main things that a Believer is called to in reference to what is past 1. Examination of himself and his way 2. Laying of himself and his way to and before his Conscience informed by the Word 3. Judging of himself according as he find eth his way to be when he hath laid it before his Conscience We need not curiously and nicely difference these for they go alwayes together when a man is right His examination of himself and of his way the examination of his way by his Conscience and his self-judging yet they may be some way differenced self-examination is more large and extensive taking in the whole that a man is concerned in his ●ecklenesse and his need as well as his sinfulnesse but reflecting on Conscience considereth a mans way as sinful or not sinful only self-examination is a gathering as it were of things together but reflecting on Conscience is a laying of them to the Rule a putting of them to the touch-stone self-examination is the mids Conscience-reflection is the end And if any should offer to divide them the gathering of things together by self-examination will not signifie much except they be tryed by Conscience self-examination is antecedent to the Sentence of the Judge self-judging is subsequent as a Ratification of that which Conscience hath said when we have examined and found out things and when Conscience hath on reflection agreeably to the Rule given it's Sense and Sentence Our judging of our selves is our homologating or owning applying and taking home to us the Sentence that Conscience hath past as it were from our own mouth somewhat like that word Rom. 8. 16. The spirit it self beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God In our self examination and judging we are active but in Conscience it's passing Sentence we are passive as being therein 〈◊〉 before the Judge and when Conscience hath said we say however we put them together and have marked it for this reason because oft-times when we examine and take a look of our selves and of our way we are disposed to think that we have done enough and as soon as the I●ditement is read we run away from the Bar and do not abide and stay for Conscience it's decision as if we knew what it will say before hand again some-times we are disposed to Judge our selves and to passe or leap over both examination and consciences Sentence being thus precipitant and preposterous to prevent any trouble and apprehended horrour that may attend the Sentence of Conscience and are ready to say that we know not what it will say before it be put to the ●ryal And this is a reason why many will take with a conviction but it hath no weight with them nor 〈◊〉 to them because it is their own as it were and not Conscience it's Sentence Therefore ye would by all means joyn together these Three use Self-examination Judge and passe Sentence on your selves as we are willed 1 Cor. 11. 28. 31. But miss not this cup●e viz Reflecting upon and observing of what Conscience hath to ●ay for this 〈◊〉 the first and the last together and if they be no● thus knit they will fall assunder and come to nothing The 2d Use is for tryal take it then for an evidence and mark of a tender Christian thus to reflect on a persons walk and actions when he hath done them The tender Christian will thus reflect on his way and actions done though it were for many years past and will judge impartially according to what Conscience hath to say of them They here behave like unto faithful Ambassadors or Messengers who being Commissionat in some bussinesse and having gone about it will sist themselves before these that gave them the Commission to hear their Judgement and Sentence of their management of the bussinesse committed to them 〈◊〉 they are unfaithful that receive such a Commission and never give an accompt of their discharge of it nor wait for the Sentence of it's giver● even so tender Christians will not only consult with and take direction from Conscience what and how to do but will also turn back and see i● Conscience doth approve of what they have done and of their manner of doing Now when we speak of this we do not say that it is always the mark of a tender Christian that the man hath Conscience speaking for him for Conscience may be misled and it's Testimony in that case signifies little But this we say that it is a mark of a tender Christian to be always singly trying whether it be for him or against him and it will be found in the experience of all tender Christians Whereas these that walk at random without all circumspection look not thus to Conscience yea even Believers the●selves when in an untender frame desire not much to come in Conscience it's sight to speak ●o The reason is because as it is Ioh. 3. v. 20 21. Every one that doth evil hateth the light least his deeds should be reproved but he that doth truth cometh to the light to the light of the Word and of his Conscience informed by the Word that his deeds may be manifest that they are wrought in God It 's no ●mal part I say of this Light even Conscience it 's Testimony And it sayes that the sincer man desireth to know if he be right or wrong and that he likes not to entertain the thoughts of any practice or deed of his to be right when it is not so in truth and that withall he allowes not himself to judge of his deeds meerly by himself but to submit them to the Sentence of his Conscience according to the Word To clear this a little we shall point at some Characters of a person that is suitably serious and tender in reflecting on his Conscience and that 1. In respect of it's extent and then 2ly In respect of the effects of it First then as to the Extent 1. He reflecteth on and tryeth all his Actions even the whole tract and current of his Life as Paul doth here his conversation in the World

bee● hearing a Sermon resting on the 〈◊〉 performance when in the mean time they never discerned what it was to perform these duties spiritually they fancy that they are not guilty of breaking the first 〈◊〉 if they have not down-right worshipped any other God but the true God and know no spiritual 〈◊〉 that they are not guilty of murder if they shed no man● blood and know not that rash anger is 〈◊〉 breach of that command and murder before God and so in other commands 4ly When providence seems to countenance some particular in mens hand and it goes with them they are ready to think in that case they have the Testimony of their Conscience and so speak peace to themselves as we see in Micah when he has made his Teraphim Ephod and mol●en image and meets with a vagrant Levit coming along who 〈◊〉 to stay with him Now sayes he I know that the Lord will do me good s●ing I have a Levit to be my Priest He looks on providences furnishing him with a Priest as Gods approving of his making these images we will also find in Rachel and Leah two instances of this Gen. 30. Rachel in her barrenness gives Bilhah her maid to Iacob and when she had brought forth a Son she sayes God hath judge● me and beard my voice But Leah when she hath given her maid to him is more express and clear while she sayes after Zilpahs bringing forth a Son God hath gives me my hire because I have given my maid to my husband It is very rare for people when they seem to be countenanced in such or such a particular that they have a great mind for so to reflect on their way as not sadly to mistake there may be something of this even in Believers in so far as they have unmortified corruption in them all which sayes that we have great need and are so much the more concerned to study to be impartial and single in grounding the Testimony of our Conscience that we mistake it not For providence coun● us in a particular will not if there be no more prove us to be right in it God not having given us that as our Rule to walk by but the law and testimony by which the Conscience being well informed and giving its Testimony accordingly that is the alone Testimony which can yield solid peace and joy For the 2d thing viz. Some false grounds even beside these that men use to rest upon we shall name these four that are very unsound and unsicker and they are implyed in the Text. The 1. is implyed in Godly sincerity for clearing of which ye would take notice that there may be a moral sincerity in mens practices that is not godly sincerity which is opposit to more gross counterfeiting and dissembling This we find to have been in Abimelech Gen. 20. who said to God In the integrity of my heart have I done this The man said not one thing when he intended another this moral sincerity will not prove a solid ground of the Testimony of a good Conscience therefore we see that God plagues A●imelech notwithstanding his moral honesty and sincerity it is true it may extenuat and in some respect excuse a mans fault as it does Pauls persecution who did it ignorantly and out of unbelief and the Iews their zeal which was not according to knowledge but as the thing it self was not warrantable so no such thing can be a solid ground of peace therefore the Iews zeal does not warrand them in that they did nor Pauls persecution to be no sin as neither the one nor the other nor both of them together warrand these spoken of 1 Iohn 16. who in killing the servants of Christ thought they did God good service the matter must be right otherwayes there can never be ground for a good Testimony of the Conscience There is somewhat of this kind of sincerity in many Merchants and Tradesmen which makes them if they be any way morally honest in their dealings to think that they have Religion enough and sufficient ground for a good Testimony from their Conscience but alace this will not do the business nor obtain such a Testimony it is not sure for nought that Paul puts in this word for a ground of his Testimony Godly Sincerity The 2d False ground is implyed in these words not with fl●eshly wisdom wherein ye may take notice 1. that there is a fleshly wisdom providence or policy whereby many men square their actions and wayes so as the mean they pitch on may re●ch their end and they may carry the matter so smoothly and handsomely as not openly to offend though they make but little Conscience in the choice of means but it s not from a principle of Conscience it is but worldly wisdom which will come to nought 2ly Ye may notice here that though this may keep a man sometimes from outward trouble and in a sort of quietnesse of mind and may yeeld him some ground of expectation to gain his point yet it will not give him solid peace nor be the ground of a good Testimony from his Conscience ●ndeed where a tender well informed Conscience rules and bears sway natural wisdom is a serviceable and useful hand maid but when a man designs a good end to be compassed by fleshly wisdom without consulting Conscience in it though he should succeed it will never give him peace Therefore when Paul comes to Corinth to preach the Gospel he declares that he will not preach nor disput to make a shew of his learning or scholarcraft nor to draw peoples respect and applause to himself as the false teachers did but with holy simplicity he plainly i●structs them in the knowledge of the truth and reproves impartially their faults and so commits the su●cess to God Thus a Minister may sinfully follow this rule or guide of fleshly wisdom to come by a good end to wit the keeping of people from casting at his Ministry these false teachers that were in Corinth who did not it may be preach gross errours and might possibly think they had some good end yet in their preaching through much fleshly wisdom they ●ought themselves and made it their great work to gain the peoples respect and applause by conniving at their ●aults rather than to profit them and to gain their Souls wo wo to such Ministers who wink at the sins of their hearers that they may infinua● themselves on them and court their favours but closly to our point we say that though men should have never so good an end fleshly wisdom and carnal policy will never minister ground of a good Testimony from their Conscience unto them A th●rd false ground is implyed in these words But by the grace of God viz as the principle of his actions and walk which insi●uats first that there are some good things which men may do not from a principle of grace but it may be from a meerly moral principle of