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
A20782	The iaylors conuersion Wherein is liuely represented, the true image of a soule rightlye touched, and conuerted by the spirit of God. The waightie circumstances of which supernaturall worke, for the sweete amplifications, and fit applications to the present time, are now set downe for the comfort of the strong, and confirmation of the weake. By Hugh Dowriche Batch. of Diuinitie.	Dowriche, Hugh, b. 1552 or 3.	1596 (1596)	STC 7160; ESTC S111947	34,879	82

God in this man vttered long sithence vpon occasion which I haue termed The Iaylors Conuersion This being the first thing of mine that euer past the presse I thought to make bold to Dedicate it to the first friend that euer was truely possessed of my hart The first fruits were stil most accepted desired of the Lord The first childe by nature is best beloued of the father The first faith is euer most firme most deare and sweete to the possessor My first faithfull affection hath inforced me to offer these simple first fruites to you that had the gift of my first faith Which affection you first wonne by curtesie after confirmed it by desert which being planted young hath now growne to be olde being begun long sithence hath continued to this present inuiolable and as the greene bayes whome no tempest can blast euer flourishing so I hope shal continue so long as life shal giue leaue to loue If I could as easily bestow on you a great part of the world as I doe willingly giue you this smal portiō of words thogh you bee great already yet would I make you greater But seing words for want of welth must shewe my will consider in these words not the words but the working of the spirit of God And I dare presume to say that if you can imitate rightly this one example these words in short time though you bee good already yet shall they make you better The Lord that hath giuen you a great portion of faith hath bestowed on you great worldly blessings of wisedome and welth increase this faith so dayly multiplie these blessings vpon you that you may go forward frō faith to faith from vertue to vertue from life to life till in the day of the Lord your imperfections being made perfect you may receiue the Crowne of immortall glorie prepared for such as loue the Lord vnfainedly Honiton in Deuon this 30. daye of Iune 1596. Your louing friend Hugh Dowriche Vaine floting blastes of worldly blisse that neuer stay Are smoke-like mounting spied but quickly quite decay Like vewes of fawning shades that plant alluring baytes Erre fully come their farwell shewes their hid deceytes No trust in trustlesse trash no faith in friendly shewes Truth quailes in Hectik fits whilst falshoode greenely growes Yea masking visars fraude great grace in gracelesse findes No place for naked truth No time for fraudlesse mindes Esteemed vice soores high on gales of witlesse windes Knocke VVisedome while she faint on rocke of flintie hart No answere but I will not come you may depart If supreame voice to Conscience call to counte for sinne Greene Figleaues grace defects as sinne had neuer binne Hygh Cedars stoutly vaunt that fruitlesse haruest yeelde The Volgo bright yet good for neither fish nor feelde Let not false Susis springs finde poores in Corkie hart Yeelde not to loose the truth though clad in carefull smart Establish vertues throne And say to sinne depart To the friendly Reader THere is dayly preaching and daily printing of good Sermōs and good Bookes and yet there is little profiting and little amendment seene to follow either in words or workes We haue had precept vpon precept Sermon vpon Sermon in euery corner here a little and there a little and yet Egypt cannot speake the language of Canaā Esay 8 13. Esay 19. 18. Some professors cannot see what is belonging to their profession liue there after The Vineyeard yeeldeth but briers thornes The companie of vaine Papisticall Libertine Esay 27. 5. Ierem. 7. 11 and Machiauelion professors are become cōpanions to theeues they are euen found to be the den and the sinke of loth some hypocrisie which the eye of Christ viewed his heart lothed his whip purged The swords edge is rebated to them it cannot Pearce the shaft is shot in vaine it cannot sticke The force of the Gospell is become now so weake it cannot moue them The bellowes are burnt the ledde is consumed in the fire the founder Ierem. 6 ● hath melted in vaine The preachers haue lost their labours and the Printers haue spent their care their time their strength in nothing for The wicked yet still wrestle against God like wild Buls tumbling in a Ierem. 1. ● net yea they haue made a new couenant with death and with hell they haue clapped hands vpon a new bargaine As Sathan told Eua she should not die so our lying fancies haue told vs that No plague shall come neere vs. Long peace and wealth hath brought vs to wanton 1. Cor. 4. Babels estate we are a virgine not to be oppressed by any we are tender and delicate the mistresse of felicitie we are a Lady of kingdomes with a perelesse prosperitie in the middest of Esay 47. 1● our neighbours miseries wee neuer feared of our owne calamities our necke is framed of yron sinewes it cannot bow our browes are ouer-plated Esay 48. 4● with brasse they cannot blush The trumpe hath blowen yet can bee not bring againe them that Were lost in the land of Assiria Though the preachers with their Cornets haue seuen and seuen times compassed Iericho yet the cursed wals fal not though the voice the crie and the force of the Gospell of signes and wonders haue beene heard and felt in euery corner yet the weedes ouertoppe the Corne the soule lost in the sincke of error and land of transgression returnes not againe the Papists deceiued by the full flesh pots of Egypt are not yet reclaimed the Atheists Brownists Anabaptists Libertines and carnall carelesse and dissolute professors that are for their sinne suffered to be led into heresies are not yet contented to ioyne in one godly vnitie to worship and serue the Lord in the mount of Ierusalem the vision of peace We doe not yet see that blessed time when Ephraim shall be are no euill will to Iuda nor Iuda vexe Ephraim when preachers shall not wrangle for trifels and bee deuided one from an other but all ioyne together to flie vpon the shoulders of the Pihlistins the common enemies of the Gospell All our preaching cannot draw on that happie time when Iuda and Israel shall walke both together When all preachers and professors that now hate backbite and slaunder one an other shall so ioyne hands and hearts together that neither of thē walke or continue any longer in the hardnesse of their froward harts It was a certaine signe of Gods heauie plague against Iuda and a sure token that their destruction was at hand when the peoples eares began to be Vncircumcised when they could not patiently harken to the truth and when the word was to thē as a reproch that they could not delighte in it If the same tokens may be now any way á signe to England of her destruction as it was to Ierusalem then may Englands Musicke be well turned into Iudahes mourning and say Woe bee vnto me Woe is me now My heart my health

Christ said that Tyrus and Sidon and the Queene of the South should rise in iudgement against the hard-harted vnbelieuers of Ierusalē so no doubt this Iaylor as he condemned the proud Pharisies then so he shal be a heauie condemnation to our blinde Papistes and our carnall and licentious professors of the Gospel now which hauing the truth haue loued error more then the truth hauing the light haue desired darkenesse more then the light and hauing saluation offered by Christ haue chosen rather damnation in following their owne deuises and wilfully continuing the course of their sweete olde sinnes For our Papists notwithstanding all the preaching of Christ will be still Moses Disciples they wil not forsake the customes of their fathers and the ignorance of that time wherin they were Christened they will neuer suspecte that there can bee hypocrisie error and deceite vnder the graue habites and demure countenances of their old Doctors Priests Scribes and Pharisies They would be loth to depart from the vnitie as they call it the consent of so many ages counsels and learned fathers to belieue the new doctrine of Paule and Silas strangers wanderers but lately heard of but euen now come to the towne These and many other stops were laide in the laylors way to haue kept him from obedience to the truth but when the arme of the Lord was reuealed vnto him and when by the spirite of God his hart was Act. 16. 14. opened he cast of these fantastical shadows and obeyed the effectuall calling He might haue aleaged against the Apostles euerye way as much as any Papist in the world can say against the Gospell and the Lords instruments which in this last age hee commaunded and appointed to vnrake the truth from the dull ashes and misties shadowes in which it lay long time for sinne inclosed the worlde being not worthie of it Now the Papistes must condemne this Iaylor to be a foole for consenting so quickly to strange doctrine for giuing credit to a fewe against many to strangers against men that were knowne and for reuolting so easilye from the faith wherein hee was baptised or if they will not condemne him whome the word doth commend they must needs condemne themselues for not belieuing the same worde and obeying the like callings Especially seeing they haue many and diuers other examples that vrge and teach the same as Elisha who ranne after Elias vpon a 1. King 19 20. small calling to our iudgement The Disciples also vpon smal acquaintance were content to forsake shippes nets occupation Mat. 4. 18. gaine friendes and father to follow Christ assone as hee called them Mathew being a Publican was content at one word to arise to leaue his Office his profit his glorie his masters and former teachers to follow an other Mat. 9. 9. master that had now called him What should I recken Paule Cornelius Lidia with infinite others which obeyed the same calling that our Iaylor did Surely if the like should happen now if any should fall away from Poperie from superstition to follow Christ or belieue the doctrine of the Apostles if Elisha if the Disciples if Paule if Cornelius now liued they should bee condemned by the Pope to be rash foolish and rancke heretiques It is time for vs which haue beene so long and many waies called at length to bid farwell vnto your pleasures delightes deceite hypocrisie c. This Iaylor will rise in iudgement against vs. The Popish chaine of vniuersalitie was now not yet coyned or of this man little esteemed which at this time is one of the great Ankers which holdes the Popedome that it sinckes not and keepes so many simple fooles in bondage vppon great bragges and vaine ostentation of a Monster in the ayre which neuer was That all the worlde forsoth is of their Religion or was not long sithens If this be true where was then I say not the popish vniuersalitie for that hath alwaies beene an vniuersalitie of error but where was any vniuersalitie of the truth at all when first the linage of Seth then of Abraham and his kindred in all the world Israel among all nations onely Iuda among all the tribes onely Iohn Baptist in al Iudea Christ only and his Apostles in all the earth Paul Silas only in all Macedonia Luther and a few others in all Germanie gaue testimonie of the truth Had it not beene a foolish thing for this Iaylor to haue iested at the truth because there were but a few that professed it Euen so grosse an absurditie it is now in our Papists to say that we haue not the truth because it is not vniuersally credited and belieued of all men and in al places receiued when as it is certaine that the truth hath neuer beene vniuersally receiued nor euer will but rather it hath alwaies beene by the wicked and most part of the world vniuersally persecuted and kept vnder and so will continue till the daye of Christ We see that if the opinion of wisedome grauitie and learning if gray haires strange formes of apparell with braue and gorgeous shewes if the riches pompe pride and glorie of the world in the dumbe Scribes and Pharisies could haue pacified the troubled conscience of this poore man hee needed not to haue come to the Apostles But wee learne that though error and the illusions of Sathan bare a gallant face and delightfull countenance outwardly to the world to blind and deceiue the sences of the simple yet there is nothing can pacifie with true peace the conscience wounded for sinne but onely the word of God For I pray you what is he in all the time of Poperie that can say that he was either comforted in conscience or conuerted from sinne by any of the masking shewes in apparel by the melodie sencing perfuming images painting guilting crossing shriuing or any other such Apish toyes vsed for a pompe without preaching or expounding the word Saint Paule alowes not any thing to be vsed neither by the minister nor in the Church Rom. 15. 2. 1. Tim. 1. 4. 1. Cor. 14. 26. 40. but such things onely as concerne a godly decencie and are knowne to edifie Lastly here is a glasse which neuer failes to shew vs the true proportion of such as be A true glasse for al estats rightly touched at the touch-stone of Gods spirit We see this man after he was touched how little ashamed hee was to confesse his blindnesse to condemne himselfe to desire helpe how little afraide hee was to venter credit office liuings life and all to obtaine that saluation which he desired of which he now felt the want This was a sure token in him and so it is in all to know them that are rightly called from the hypocritical professors For it is as possible that they which be rightly touched should continue in their olde couetousnesse whordome drunkennes blasphemie malice negligence and iniurie as it is for the spirite

forsake renounce and detest for euer this Pharisaicall superstition And seeing this course that I haue taken can doe me no good I pray you whō I now know to be the seruāts of the liuing God prechers of the truth Tell mee at length what course I must take what I must do that I may be saued By which words wee see that he did not only suspect but vtterly by the spirit of God renounce that which the same spirite had tolde him to be wicked and abhominable And I wish in perfect charitie that all those which are now blinded with Poperie and lie yet drunken with the cursed wine of the great whore of Babilon al what euer they be either in Italy France Spaine or England may if they pertaine to the Lords election feele the like motions the like hartquakes to assault their cōscience open their eyes that they may once feele see their blindnes their errors and their sinnes certaine damnatiō that they may once with this Iaylor perfectly bid farwell vnto al the Romish Pharisies blind guides deceiuing hypocrites that now so monsterously abuse them Againe seeing this Iaylor seekes to be saued let vs consider what saluation it is that he desireth The Greek word signifieth such a kind of sauing as that a man may continually remaine assured and without feare The Syrian Paraphrase hath it what must I doe that I may liue Which is as much to say as to be preserued which teacheth vs that hee sought not for the temporal present sauing of his life the feare of the earthquake being passed and they being that way able to doe him no good neither did he as the wicked are wont to do which seing the iudgements of God for a time tremble quake but the rod being past they return againe vnto their former wickednes But this man being rightly touched and fearing more his sin then the Earthquake earnestly sought for the saluation of his soule the comfort of which might continue with him for euer If he desired the right waye the verie truth and life it selfe whome did he desire but Christ If hee desired Iohn 14. 6. saluation what desired hee but Christ which is the onely Sauiour of the faithfull Blessed saith Dauid is he whose wickednes is forgiuen whose sin is couered If no man Psalm 32. 1 can bee blessed happie ioyfull and saued but they that haue their sins forgiuen then wee see what saluation it is that this man sought namely an assurance that his sinnes should be forgiuen the meanes by which hee might attaine vnto this This saluation the Pharisies coulde not teach this Iaylor then and our Papistes purely without corruption will not haue it taught now Further we learne here if we see any cruell wicked and malicious persecutors of the truth or any other abhominable sinners not to proceede in rash iudgement against thē to cōdemne for reprobates but rather to leaue this iudgment to the Lord who only knoweth what they be that are his because wee know not whether the Lord haue appointed both time and meanes for their conuersion as hee had for this Iaylor c. Lastly we learne that this care and desire of the Iaylor condemneth the cares and desires of many of vs that haue beene longer ●h 10. 41. 42. taught Christ said once to a worldly minded Martha Martha thou carest art troubled about many things but one thing is needefull c. This one needfull thing is to desire to heare the worde of God and the meanes how to bee saued and haue our sinnes forgiuen This one thing had the Iaylor nowe found this one thing he desired no more Whosoeuer therefore neglecting the word of God and care of saluation applyeth his mind to any other exercise pleasure or profit his care is needlesse vaine foolish and wicked For all our cares studies and endeauors wherin we haue not a principal regard vnto the glorie of God and our owne saluation are accursed of the Lord and therefore can neuer bring a blessing vppon vs. The counsels and conspiracies of the wise Achitophels 2. Sam. 17. the Lord for his Dauid shall ouerthrow by his appointed Hushais No prouision counsell or determination for the gouernment or safetie of any common-welth can euer stand long or bring a blessing vpon that land where the principall marke of all their deuises tend not to the establishing and setting forth of the truth the honour of God and saluation by Christ Iesus our onely Sauiour Hospitalitie is good a reasonable prouision of things necessarie is alowable an earnest desire to bee diligent in our vocations occupations and callings is commended but yet to loue follow or be busied so in any of these that we neglect at times conuenient and when occasions be offered to heare the Sermons of Christ or neglect the learning of the knowledge of our saluation is in Martha by Christ greatly reprehended There bee many Marthaes in England which trouble themselues about many vaine pleasures offices and deuises while in the meane time they neglect the best dutie As Gentlemen that trouble themselues to build faire houses gorgeous palaces which yet care not for the building of the Lordes house and as little for their owne saluation countrie men that are careful to prouide for their posteritie yet carelesse for their owne safetie and helpe of their soules Ministers which either for ignorance negligence or contempt of the word leauing the consideration of their calling giue themselues som to be husbandmen farmers grasiers c some to be Physitions Lawyers and other secular officers as though that one blessed calling of theirs were not needful only sufficient to preach the word of God truely and to liue thereafter to bring the simple ignorant to know which way they must be saued c. The fourth circumstance What it was which brought this man to this Consideration The text shews vs that it was the iudgement and hand of the Lord which he felt in the Earthquake and the holy Ghost also inwardly working which wrought this care desire in him and made him to haue a consideration of his sins c. Application and Doctrine First we see that it is a profitable good thing for a man to feel the iudgements rods and scourge of the Lord oftentimes to awaken him out of his securitie and also to cast downe his pride that he may learne to humble himself before the Lord. For ease peace and quietnesse bring vs a sleepe harden our harts make vs to contemne the messengers and worde of the Lord But feare and his rod when it is seene maketh vs more apt to learne and willingly to seeke for comfort helpe Therefore said Dauid It is good for me Psal 119. 67 71 that I haue beene afflicted that I may learne thy statuts For before I was troubled I went astray but now I keepe thy word The worldly mindes which are

estate Therfore the Lord sent them the voice of a more terible preacher which shooke both bodies and houses all at once assaying by this meanes to bring their impenitent harts to some shaking feeling and feare of conscience for their sinnes But as Which was felt about the yeare 1580. that Earthquake shewed them so our last Earthquake and other tokens sithens shew vs plainely now the estate wherin we stand which is that we yet continue in our sinnes That we despise the voice of the Gospel neede a more sharp preacher it openeth our securitie it threatneth Gods iustice in seueritie it promiseth our punishment shews vs that it is very neere the last time of warning Happie wee see are they which come when the Lord calleth them for many bee called but few are chosen few come What callings should we looke for more then wee haue had Wee haue had our daughter diseased our sonne sicke our seruant like to die wee haue seene fearefull signes ouer Ierusalem we haue heard of the gatherings of the confederacies and conspiracies of many nations against vs we haue found little faith in our friends little loyaltie in our owne naturall children great falsehoode in friendly face great diuisions quarrels and hartburnings amongst our selues many Malcontent dayly rising and a thousand other such callings besides the consideration of the silly threede of our happie estate depending vpon one and in earthly respects but one onely the vncertaintie of all things when God shall visite vs the turmoyles and hurliburlies that we may long before plainely see if God of his mercy helpe not These thinges are considered of few of many not accounted of and feared of none What will the ende of these things bee Let all the inhabitants of England crie Lord saue our Noble Queene Elizabeth from treason at home and from forraine enemies abroade Lord forgiue her her sinnes and vs our wickednes and graunt if it be thy will that she may yet long and long time in peace and in saftie preserue this her Noble Realme of England Amen Lastly we learne the great mercies of our God For he chideth before he stricke hee warneth before he destroyeth he punisheth not till he haue vsed all meanes to haue vs returne Hee giueth sinners both grace and space to repent and to seeke which waye they may be saued with this sinfull Iaylor The fift and last circumstance The time when he fell to haue this care what hee might doe to be saued He neuer fell to this consideration till the Lord drew him vnto it by his spirit For in the nature of mā ther is no good thought motion or power to returne from euill to consider and see our sinnes or to lament and be sorrie for them and at the word to seeke for remedy against them but rather a desire will and affection still to remaine in them Therefore Christ said No man can come vnto me except my father draw him This man Iohn 6. 37. 44. 3. 27 had his part of two motions The one outward by the miracle the other inward by the holy Ghost Application Doctrine Where first we see that all our labour trauaile is lost in preaching and opening the Scripture outwardly to the eare except the spirit also preach inwardly to the heart For men are of themselues deafe and dull till God doe open their harts and giue them a new vnderstanding as he gaue to Lidia to this Iaylor and many other Againe we see how naked weake miserable we be of our selues and that if wee were not gouerned and nourished by better power then our owne how quickely miserably wee should perish Therefore this consideration may serue to conquer the spirit of pride in our freewill men when they shall know that in their flesh and humaine nature ther is no goodnes at all that they can performe nothing that is good without him that said Without me ye can do nothing 1. Cor. 4. 7. Act. 20. 35. What hast thou saith Paule which thou hast not receiued We learne that faith is not in the power nature of mā to beleue or not to beleue whē Ep. 1. 18. 19 1. Cor. 12 ● 9 11. it pleseth him but that it is the free gift of God for Christs sake vnto those that are his chosē For if it were in the nature of man then all Phil. 1. 29. 2. Thes 3 2. men shuld beleue But Al men haue not faith therefore it is in vs a worke supernaturall wrought by the spirite of God onely The want of the presence and working of which spirit in the harts of men makes them that they haue no desire to heare the word and when they doe heare it they take no profit by it for it is saide But the word which they heard profited them not because it was not mixted Heb. 4. 20 with faith in them that heard it Where wee see a notable relation betweene fayth the word The one can neuer be effectual without the other They goe both together Therefore as soone as there was a fayth kindle in the hart of this Iaylor by the holy Ghost he seekes presently for the word as the body for the soule For as the body is a dead thing without the soule so the word also hath no life effect or motion without faith Now wee see why many Gentlemen Countriemen and others are yet either Atheists ●esters in Religion or despisers of the word because as yet with this Iaylor they haue not receiued the gift of faith c. Here we vnderstand that all shall not be saued against the error of Origen for without faith none can be saued but none haue faith but they onely whome God the father gaue vnto his sonne Christ But hee saith I pray not for the world but for them which thou Ioh. 17. 9. hast giuen me Therefore the elect which are separated from the world that is the reprobate by the free election and donation of God and are garded by the continuall prayer of Christ are they onely that shall bee saued Of which number wee see now this Iaylor by his calling and faith to bee one For Gods election oftentimes lyeth hid vnder a wicked life till the time of their conuersion come which the Lord hath appointed All are not wee see drawne to Christ in one manner for there bee many which professe Religion and talke much of Christ whome God the father by his spirite neuer drew but either their bellie hope of honor vaine glorie c. No maruaile though they belieue not rightly and though they continue not long in a good course Such are many of our earnest Iesuites Papists and libertine professors of the Gospell of Christ Lastly when it is saide that this Iaylor was drawne to this Religion to this godly care and in like manner all the elect wee learne what vnwillingnes what slacknesse what negligence wee vse in our comming to Christ and that wee of our owne nature haue no list affection or good will to come longer then God by his spirite moueth vs and compelleth vs. Therefore if Christ should looke for vs till wee should come of our selues wee should surely neuer see him nor haue any part in him Let vs therefore desire the Lord that as he by his holy spirit drew this Iaylor from the miserable thraldome of ignorance error and iniquitie and planted a desire in him to seeke the truth and by the same gaue him both comfort saluation So in like manner that he will by the same spirite moue our hard hearts to lament our sinne open our blinde eyes to see our imperfection and draw our proude stomakes to humble our affections to the obedience of the word and kindle in vs a loue to like and seeke the same that wee also in our most extremities may by Christ receiue light helpe and euerlasting comfort which the Lord God graunt vnto vs for his deare Sonne Iesus Christs sake to whome with the holy Ghost three persons and one eternall God be al honor power praise glorie and dominion both now and euer Let all praise and glorie be giuen to God alone FINIS