Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	doctrine_n	scripture_n	spirit_n	4,135	5	5.3138	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A22452	The Christians race teaching vs all so worthily, and so wisely both to beginne, continue, and to end, this our most short and momentanie [sic] course in this mortall life: that in the day of our death wee may for euer enjoy that inestimable crowne of eternall blisse in the life to come. Being a sermon preached in the Parish Church of North Parrott in Somerset, by Iohn Atkins Master of Arts, and preacher of the sacred Word of God, and pastor there.	Atkins, John, Rector of North Parrott.	1624 (1624)	STC 887; ESTC S115377	29,584	48

it vnder a Bushell but on a Candlesticke Seeking Christ we must not seeke him in our Beds of rest but in our Gardens and Vineyards of labour Cant. 3.1 Still casting off all such clogges and impediments as may hinder vs in this our Celestiall Race Herein resembling Ezechiels Waters that rose vp higher and higher in Ezec. 47.4 till we come to our Head which is the Sonne of God and that growing Wheate in the Gospel which waxed riper and riper Marke 4.28 till we come to that great Haruest Day which is in the end of the World A second Motiue to perswade vs to runne on with all possible perseuerance in this our Religious Race is for that in our great Audit Day the Day of the Lord it is not our only Faith of knowing much which the Deuils haue Iames 2. Vers 19. Nor yet our only Faith of assenting to much which our Hypocrites haue that will then suffice and serue our turnes but only this our true sauing Faith of knowing assenting and applying of Christ with all his benefits vnto our selues The which Faith of ours if it bee sound indeed as it ought to be it will haue these two principall properties to wit First a godly sorrow or vnfayned Repentance for her Gentleman Vsher as the Faith of the Ninouites sometimes had Ionas 3.10 and secondly those liuely fruits or effects of the Spirit of God for her Attendants and Companions mentioned in Gen. 5.22 Loue Ioy Peace long suffering c. This grace of true sauing faith being a most glorious Queene And as Saint Austen stileth her Ipsa Regina virtutum The very Queene of all the Theologicall Vertues most honourably attended euermore as a Queene with those Celestiall Virgins the fruits of the Spirit whereof I spake before as in Psal 45. Vers 14 15. you may runne and reade And so I come from our Apostles word of Exhortation Runne vnto his most worthy Direction how with patience the Race that is set before vs. In which Direction note I pray you these two particular Points First our Apostles Metaphoricall word Race by which Race is heere meant the whole course and compasse of this our mortall life and Secondly that Theologicall Vertue or Grace wherewith our soules must bee seasoned fenced and guarded for our more comfortable finishing of this our mortall Race in that one word Patience Let vs runne with patience the Race c. The word Race in the Originall as I find is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof there were three seuerall kinds The first of Italy called Stadium Italicum the Italian Race contayning sixe hundred fiue and twentie feet The second Olympicum the Race of Olympus contayning only sixe hundred feet And the third and last Pythicum contayning no lesse then a thousand feet which is two hundred paces Now it is most probable that our Apostle in this place writing to the Hebrewes alluded to that Olympian Race or Course which of the three is found to bee the shortest much like to those Tyes as they tearme them in Kent which are but some thirtie or fortie Rods and then there stands the Goale And euen so likewise this life of ours as we see and know by daily experience is but only the lasting and continuance of a few yeeres moneths weekes and dayes at the vttermost and then at last comes this death vpshot Mortuus est So this man died which is the Epitaph of euery man either first or last So that as euery man had a day of Birth so shall he haue also that very shortly a day of Death For that all our whole course and compasse here is but as the extent or continuance of a Race which is but a few feet or paces of ground and there is the period or the vttermost bound Hence then from this Metaphoricall word Race there ariseth this Doctrine for our Learning that the lasting of this our life vpon Earth it is exceeding short and passeth verie swiftly Doctrine The reasons for the proofe confirmation of this Doctrine are principally three whereof the first is drawne from the Scripture à testimonio Spiritus sancti which is Spiritus veritatis the Spirit of Truth Iohn 14. ver 17. therefore his testimonie cannot but be true in Iob 14.1 Man that is borne of a woman hath but a short time to liue And it is most truely said Quod homo est animal aui breuissimi solicitudinis infinitae That mans dayes are few and euill as once old Iacob said to King Pharaoh in Gen. 47.9 and that his cares and sorrowes are infinite So that this our life is not short and sweete as Epicures vse to say though falsly but very short and sharpe as daily triall and experience prooues vnto vs all most plainly some giuing ouer at their first setting out in this their earthly Race euen in their very Cradles as did those Infants of Bethlehem in Matth. 2.16 Some others when they haue run some three or foure paces in their youth as did the young man in the Gospel Luke 7.12 Some others about the middest of their Race as did Lazarus the Brother of Martha and Marie in Iohn 11.14 And some when they are almost come to the Goale as old Simeon did in Luke 2.29 Yea and most men and women are out of breath before they can reach the stayed paces of threescore yeeres and if any doe liue till eightie yeeres we repute him then exceeding old as appeares out of Psal 90. vers 10. the dayes of the yeeres are threescore and tenne and if by reason of strength they reach to fourescore yeeres yet is there strength then but labour and sorrow for it is soone cut off and we flye away And thus à testimonio Spiritus Sancti I prooue the truth of this my former Doctrine from this our Apostles Metaphoricall word Race that the lasting of this our life here vpon Earth it is exceeding short c. A second Reason is drawne ab experientia quotidiana from daily experience which is the surest Schoole-mistris in the World in that we doe find perceiue and see by experience that there are as many small sculs in our Golgothaes which are our Churches Churchyards as there are great and that for one Apple which falleth ripe from our Trees tenne are pulled before they be ripe and that the Parents do as often naturally mourne for the death of their children as the children doe for the death of their Parents Thus being our Aprill and our Iune as I may terme in which we flourish for a while but very shortly will come our September and Nouember in which as leaues wee must fall to the ground and what a wonderfull change will this be that within these fourescore yeeres at the most scarce one of all this Congregation shall remayne aliue but another Pastour and other people another Preacher and other hearers shall supply these roomes The Rauen and the Phenix the Elephant and the Lion and the Hart liue

out their hundreds of yeeres but Man dyeth when his sunne is yet but risen before his Eye can be satisfied with seeing or his Eare with hearing or his Heart with lusting Death knocks at the very doore of his heart and will not suffer him to studie for an excuse before hee must appeare to giue an account of his Stewardship for he can bee no longer steward Luk. 16.2 3. And euen thus Ab experientia quotidiana by experience I proue also the truth of this my former Doctrine raised from the word Race That the lasting and continuance of our life here vpon earth it is exceeding short c. A third reason for further proofe confirmation of this Doctrine is drawne à Comparatis from Comparisons taken out of the pure fountain it selfe of Gods blessed Booke In that this present life of ours is compared by the Holy Ghost in Scripture sometimes to a Pilgrimage in which is vncertaintie as in Gen. 47.9 The dayes of my Pilgrimage are an hundred and thirtie yeeres Sometimes to Grasse and Flowers in which is mutabilitie as in Esay 40.7 Sometimes to a Smoake in which is vanitie as in Psal 102.3 Sometimes to a house of Clay in which there is miserie Iob. 4.19 Sometimes to a Weauers shittle in which is volubilitie as in Iob. 7.6 Somtimes to a Shepherds Tent in which is varietie as in Esa 38.12 Sometimes to a Ship vpon the Seas or to a Post vpon the Land in which is great celeritie as in Wisdom 5.9.10 Somtimes to a Race as in 1. Cor. 9.24 And so likewise heere in this my Text. Sometimes to a Dreame whereof wee haue many in one night as in Iob 20.8 Sometimes to Vanitie which is nothing in it selfe as in Psal 39.5 And sometimes to nothing or a thing of nought which hath no being in this world as in the selfe same Psalme and Verse By all which comparisons taken out of the written Word of God I proue the truth of this my former Doctrine as by a third reason that the lasting and continuance of our liues here vpon Earth it is exceeding short passeth very swiftly And no maruel for that the holy Ghost resembleth Mans present estate besides all those transitorie things which afore I haue mentioned sometimes to a Shadow which is as nothing to the body as in Iob 8.9 And sometimes to a vapour which quickly vanisheth as in Iam. 4.14 Now then all these things of so short a continuance what else doe they intimate vnto vs all but a serious consideration with our selues of our most short vnconstant and variable estate The chiefest of mans glory heere vpon Earth being resembled as before I shewed you but to a Flower and a Flower as in Summer wee doe see is a thing of no long continuance for that the cold nips it the heate withers it and lastly the sithe will quickly cut it downe And euen so is our life in length but as a spanne yea a very nothing in respect of Eternitie Psal 144.4 The vse of this my former Doctrine raised from our Apostles metaphoricall word Race is of admonition to warne vs all that sith this present life of ours is so exceeding short as I haue most euidently prooued vnto you by three most pregnant and powerfull reasons So that in truth in comparison of that which followeth it is but Punctum temporis quod hîc viuimus imò puncto minus But a very moment of time that heere wee all doe liue And yet as Saint Austen truely sayth Hoc est momentum vnde pendet Aeternitas This is that onely moment whereupon dependeth Eternitie For that if this time bee well spent then of our liuing in euerlasting Felicitie but if this bee mispent then of our liuing in eternall Miserie That therefore we bee now mindfull and carefull euery day for to spend it well and to make good vse indeed of this so short a moment of our time in running of this our Christian race aright by liuing Religiously towards God Soberly towards our selues and justly and squarely one towards another taking especiall heed of all carnall securitie Considering that which way soeuer we cast our eyes we haue great cause of vigilancy but none at all of securitie For if wee looke vpward let vs thinke vpon God whom by our sinnes wee haue most justly displeased if downeward vpon Hell which wee haue all of vs deserued if backward vpon our Sinnes which we haue formerly committed if forward vpon our Death and Iudgement which cannot bee auoyded if inward vpon our owne Consciences which wee haue defiled if outward vpon this wicked World which to too much wee haue loued Let vs all now consider whence first we came and blush where wee are and sigh whither we are going and tremble and lastly how short this our life is and prepare And now to this end that wee may all of vs the more directly runne in this our Religious race as we ought to doe without standing sitting fainting flinching or looking backe Two speciall rules must bee well learned of vs to wit First a due Preparation before and secondly a right Disposition of our selues in running of this Religious race aright as wee ought to doe For the first rule Our due Preparation before doth chiefely consist in these two principall points First in dyeting of our selues afore-hand from forbearing the pleasing and delightsome practice of all our old and wonted sinnes euen as earthly Runners in a corporall Race doe keepe themselues to a bodily dyet before their Running day Secondly in the stripping and shifting cleane of our selues from the filthy rotten ragges of our owne supposed righteousnesse which is all but like to a menstruous Cloath as in Esay 64.6 euen as earthly Runners strip and shift themselues of their daily wearing Cloathes before they doe set forth And as for our second and last former rule viz. Our right Disposition in running it consisteth in these three principall things First in our beginning well for that as the Poet sayd of old Dimidium facti qui bene caepit habet Hee that hath made a good beginning hath therein halfe finished this his Running being guided herein by the Word of God and Prayer Secondly in going on well not in the wry way of Paganisme nor in the by-way of Papisme but only in that old way which is the good and right way of Christianisme That is In semita Dei statutorum onely in the path of Gods Commandements Thirdly and last of all In ending well For that wee vsually say and not vntruely if the End bee well then all is well As our Sauiour himselfe doth teach vs in Math. 24.13 Qui perseuerat vsque ad finem saluus erit He alone which continueth vnto the end shall bee saued For that sola perseuerantia Coronatur onely our perseuerance in this Race will enrich vs with the Crowne And in deed and truth as a godly Father sayth Incassum in hoc stadio curritur si

to liue both by his Precepts and Examples of Pietie doth daily flutter and houer ouer vs in this present life In Iohn 13.15 When our Sauiour would perswade his Disciples and followers vnto Humilitie and Loue hee sayth Dedi vobis exemplum c. I haue giuen you an Example that you should doe as I haue done to you And in the 1. of Pet. 2.21 When as Saint Peter would perswade vs to patient Suffering hee sayth CHRIST also suffered for vs leauing vs an Example that wee should follow his steps And in 1. Cor. 11. Verse 1. When Saint Paul would incite the Corinthians for to follow him hee tels them plainely that his meaning was that indeed they should follow CHRIST saying Be yee followers of mee euen as I follow Christ And in Ephes 4.32 When as the same Apostle would perswade the Ephesians to forgiue one another hee sayth Forgiue yee one another as CHRIST forgaue you And finally in the 1. of Ioh. 2.6 Saint Iohn layes downe this point of Doctrine most plainly vnto vs saying Hee that abideth in him ought himselfe to walke euen as hee walked still looking to Iesus euen as Saylers doe to their Sterne and as Runners to their Goale And thus Ab ipsissima vita Christi I prooue the truth of this my former Doctrine that in Running of this our Religious Race the holy Life of our Lord and Master CHRIST must bee our Coelestiall Card and Compasse it must bee our onely leuell and our line for to guide vs by First Vse is of reprehension to checke and sharpely to rebuke the Spiritually blinde I meane the ignorant Papists of these our dayes and times who in stead of their looking vnto the life of IESVS and to his Precepts Practice and Presidents as this our Text doth teach them looke either to the Pardons and Indulgences of the holy Father the Pope or else to the Diabolicall and damnable rules of his Iesuites those Iebusites his Seminary Priests preferring most grossely the rules of his Franciscan and Benedictine Friars c. before this one onely most excellent rule of the life of Christ or else they looke altogether to their own Merits Works which will vtterly deceiue them at the last if they renounce not all these and looke onely vnto Iesus For that of the first they are taught by IESVS himselfe That they are but blind leaders of the blinde and if the blind leade the blind they both shall fall into the Ditch Math. 15.14 And of their second which are our owne good workes wee are taught out of his most blessed Booke that Opera nostra per se nihil mereri possint the best good Workes that heere wee can doe deserue rather damnation then saluation in themselues First Quia non sunt nostra sed Dei opera in nobis Not our owne but the workes of God in vs as in 1. Cor. 4.7 Quid habes quod non accepists If a good Thought this is Grace infused if a good Word this is Grace effused if a good Worke this is Grace diffused Secondly Quia non sunt gratuita sed debita Not free at our owne pleasures to doe or else to leaue vndone but which we must doe by bounden dutie as in Luk. 17.9 10. Verses Thirdly Quia non snnt perfecta sed imperfecta Not perfect but full of infinite imperfections as in Rom. 8.23 We haue heere but onely the first fruits of the Spirit and an earnest penie onely and no more Fourthly and lastly Quia non sunt pura sed multis peccatis sunt permixta They are not pure but like poluted Cloutes Esay 64.6 Verse So that Eternall life which we looke for in the end of our liues is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Debitum a Debt or Dutie which our God doth owe vs but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Donum the free Gift of our God as in Rom. 6.23 Eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord. So that notwithstanding all our owne good Workes yet wee must looke to Iesus And onely to his Actiue and Passiue workes which hee alone hath both done and endured for vs. Concluding with that Learned Father Saint Austen Quod meritis quidem nostris damnamur sed non saluamur nisi tantum meritis Iesu Christi By our owne good Workes wee are damned but cannot bee saued at all saue onely by the Merits and good Workes of our Lord and onely Sauiour IESVS Obiect But heere now me thinkes I heare some ignorant Papists say If wee are not saued at all by our owne good Workes Why then is life Eternall stiled Merces our wages or our hyre Math. 20.10 Which is euermore payed amongst men for their Workes sake I answer the wages which is so payed amongst men is merces Legalis a Legall wages or hyre but this of Eternall life from GOD is merces Euangelica an Euangelicall hyre not merces debita a deserued hyre as the Legall is but onely indebita altogether vndeserued and yet most truely an hyre for these two causes First Ob consecutionem because it followeth after our good Workes although freely giuen vs of Gods fauour in Christ And secondly Ob promissionem because that God himselfe hath Promised it vnto all his Saints And thus as most excellently sayth Saint Austen Non debendo sed permittendo Deus se fecit debitorem Our good God is now become a debtor vnto vs not of any dutie that hee owes vs at all but onely out of his most Gracious promise which hee hath openly made vnto all his Elect. Be ashamed therefore O yee ignorant Papists of all your best good workes that you can doe and notwithstanding all these yet Oculo fidei with the Spirituall eye of a liuely Faith learne and labour with our Apostle in this short Race of your liues still to looke vnto Iesus In quo omnia habemus In whom alone wee haue all things necessarie to Saluation as Saint Ambrose sayth Whose blessed Birth was and is our new Birth whose Victorie ouer the Tempter was our Triumph his Labours our Peace and quietnesse his Prayers our Intercession his Pouertie our Riches his Soares our Salues his Wounds our Medicines his Righteousnesse our Merits and lastly his Death our Life My second and last vse of this my last Instruction raised from these last words Looking to Iesus Is of admonition to warne vs all in the Running of this our Religious Race wherein euery true Christian is a Runner that we may so runne indeed as to enioy the prize which is Eternall life with Christ in Heauen in our day of Death Let vs now make Christ our onely Marke our Copie Goale and Guide both in beleeuing and in liuing as wee ought to doe So that first if wee would know what we ought to beleeue let vs looke to Iesus who is made vnto vs of God his Father Wisedome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption 1. Cor. 1.30 And who alone is both the Alpha and Omega the beginning