Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	faith_n	grace_n	spirit_n	4,029	5	5.0239	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12202	The spirituall favorite at the throne of grace. By the late learned, and reverend divine Richard Sibbs Doctor in Divinity. Published by the authors owne appointment, subscribed with his hand; to prevent unperfect copies	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1640 (1640)	STC 22512; ESTC S103004	21,096	106

their desires But how are the truth of these desires knowne I will name a few signes The truth of those desires may be tryed thus if they be constant desires and not flashes for then they come from a new nature Nature is strong and firme Art is for a turne to serve a turne when men personate a thing they doe it not long creatures that are forced to doe so and so they returne to their own nature quickly but when a man doth a thing naturally he doth it constantly So constant desires argue a sanctified frame of soule and a new creature they argue that the image of God is stamped upon the soule Therupon wee may know that they are holy desires that that they spring from a holy soule if they be constant if they be perpetuall desires and not as a torrent that is vented for the present on a sudden and then comes to nothing after they are constant And likewise if these desires be hearty strong desires and not onely strong but growing desires desire upon desire desire fed with desire still never satisfied till they be satisfied Strong and growing desires argue the truth of desires as indeede a childe of God hath never grace enough never faith enough never love enough or comfort enough till he come to heaven They are growing desires more more the Spirit of God that is the spring in him springs up still further and further till it spring to everlasting life till it end in heaven where all desires shall be accomplished and all promises performed and all imperfections removed till then they are growing desires still Wee desire to feare thy Name and to please thee in all things Againe true desires they are not onely of the favour of God but of graces for the altring of our nature as Nehemiah here he desires not the favor of God so much as he desires to feare Gods Name Now when desire is of graces it is a holy desire You have not the worst men but would desire with Balaam to dye the death of the righteous c. that they might injoy the portion of Gods people but to desire grace that is opposite to corrupt nature as fire and water this is an argument of a holy principle of grace in us whence this desire springs when we desire that that is a counter poyson to corrupt nature that hath an antitipathy to corruption Therefore when a man from the bottome of his heart can desire oh that I could serve God better that I had more liberty to serve him that I had a heart more inlarged more mortified more weaned from the world Oh! that I could feare God more And of all graces if it be a true desire it is of such graces as may curbe us of our sinfull delights and restraine us of our carnall liberty and knit us neere to God and make us more heavenly minded the desire of these graces shew a true temper of soule indeed True desire is carried to grace as well as glory and the desire of heaven it selfe A true spirit that is touched with grace with the Spirit of God it desireth not heaven it self so much for the glory and peace and abundance of all contentments as it desires it that it is a place where it shall be freed from sinne and where the heart shall be inlarged to love God to serve God to cleave to God for ever and as it is a condition wherein he shall have the image and resemblance of Iesus Christ perfectly upon his soule Therefore wee pray Thy Kingdome come that is we desire that thou wouldest rule more and more largly in our soules and subdue all opposite power in us and bring into captivity all our desires and affections and let thy Kingdome come more and more Let thy will be done by us and in us more and more In earth as it is in heaven Here is a sweet prayer now serving to the first petition the hallowing of Gods name when we desire more to honour God and to that purpose that he may rule in us more and make us better these desires argue an excellent frame of soul as we see in Nehemiah our desire is to feare thy Name True desires are likewise to the meanes of salvation and to the meanes of salvation as they convay grace as sincere milke as you have it 1 Pet. 2. As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word Where a man hath holy desires of any grace and hath them in truth hee will desire those meanes whereby those graces may most effectually bee wrought in his heart therefore hee will heare the word as the word of God hee comes not to heare the Word because of the eloquence of the man that delivers it that mingles it with his owne parts hee comes not to heare it as the tongue of man but he sees God in it it is the powerfull Word of God because there goes the efficacie of the Spirit with it to worke the graces he desires Therefore a man may know by his tast of divine truth whether he desire grace hee that desires grace desires the meanes that may convay grace and especially so farre as they convay grace As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word You cannot still a childe with any thing but milke he desires no blending or mixing but onely milke so a true Christian desires divine truthes most because the Spirit of God is effectuall by them to worke grace and comfort in him I will not inlarge my selfe in the point The comfortable observation hence is this that weak Christians that finde a debilitie and faintnesse and feeblenesse in their performances hence they may comfort themselves by their desire to feare God and to worship God and to serve him if their desires bee true Therefore in Isaiah 26. the Church alledgeth it to God in the way of thy judgements have we sought thee c. The desire of our soules is towards thy Name they bring it as a prevailing argument to God So when we come to God The desire of our soules is toward thy Name Lord our indeavours are weake and feeble but the desire of our soules is to thy name and thou wilt not quench the smoaking flax therefore wee come to thee with these weake and poore desires that we have The Lord will fulfill the desires of them that feare him Psal. 145. If they be but desires if they be true and growing and constant desires and desires of grace as well as of happinesse as I shewed before The reason why God accepts them is partly because they spring from his owne spirit these desires they are the breathings of the spirit For even as it is in places where fountaines and springs are digged up they are knowne and discovered by vapors the vapors shew that there is some water there some spring if it were digged up so these desires