Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	father_n	john_n	son_n	4,500	5	5.8945	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51252	A treatise shewing the liberty and bondage of the will of man, or, A treatise shewing the bondage of the will of man by nature, and the liberty thereof by grace	Moore, Thomas, Senior.	1652 (1652)	Wing M2594A; ESTC R41715	32,714	48

I have all the way affirmed peculiar to believers a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear the mysteries of God that in spirituals they might follow him and that Moses that affirms the former given them and from thence exhorts them Deut. 4. and 6. and 7. and 10. Doth yet affirm this not given them of God as yet Deut. 29.4 and that sure not to excuse their sin and lay the blame on God but to aggravate their sin and rebellion to be very great in not seeing and heeding what they saw c. Else sure the mercifull God that had done so much for them and promised so much to them freely would have given them such an heart before now so that it was sin they had not that gift even as it was the sin of those John 16.8 9. they had not believed though faith be the gift of God Ephes 2.8 And thus those that had received much mercy did so provoke God that he might justly forbear to shew them any farther mercy but have consumed them all but yet he would not but to whom he pleased of them to shew mercy and be gracious to them he would and who they were and are he hath shewn even them that are humbled by this his reproof and so forsake their own thoughts or purposes and ways and by the discoveries of his goodness turn to him Jer. 18.1 7 8. Psal 55.7 And this to be the meaning of God and Moses is evident by the whole scope of Deuteronomy and this 29. the 30. chapter which else had been in vain and to no purpose to such a people Again note the things of which the Apostle speaks in making use of that saying of the Lord in Moses writings and they appear to be supernatural and spiritual things as the new birth the birth effected by the promise and so the appearance efficacy and election of grace therein and so of the communication of remission of sins justification righteousness peace c. vers 8. Such as the discerning of and freedom of will in chusing is not affirmed to be in the natural man much less that these things should be in him or of him by any natural power or by his willing or running to work out or reach to himself they being things to be received upon the free gift and tender in believing Yet again note that he saith these things are of God it is in his power love mercy and faithfulness still to give and work in us to receive he hath not limited himself nor set bounds to his will to hinder him from being gracious when he will and to whom he will that from him it may be looked for and yet farther note that he saith that God of whom it is sheweth mercy so that he hath not yet excluded such persons as will and run but still sheweth mercy gives them who of themselves are blinde and deaf some sight and hearing that they might see and hear and so in seeing and hearing be convinced of the vileness of their sins against so good a God and the vanity of their own ways and strifes in willing and running and so fall down before him accepting the freeness of his grace receiving it to be saved by it see an example of a receiver Phil. 3.3 7 8 9. and of refusers 2 Thes 2.10 So that this place agreeth with and directeth to the right use of that I have affirmed to be given by Christ to natural men and is a like pressing caveat instruction and exhortation to that mentioned John 15.4 5. John 6.44 65. No man can come to me except the father which hath sent me draw him except it were given unto him of my father Ans Surely this is altogether true and a sweet instruction motive and reproof but here is nothing in it denying or crossing any thing I have affirmed for 1. That I have affirmed that it is of Gods working to draw to Christ as is seen in all said 2. God draweth many with the cords of a man and bands of love that yet do not come in to him but draw back Hos 11.3 4 7. and our Saviour said not that all that the father draweth do come to me but every one that hath heard in which hearing the bands of love do fasten and learned that is received his instructions and so renounced himself and accepted of Christ and therein chosen life cometh to me 3. This saying of our Saviour is used as an admonition to them because of their own imbecility that cannot of themselves come to receive his instruction and lay hold on the opportunity afforded receiving the love of the truth appearing and the heavenly bread now given them by the Father that sent the Son that is now calling on them that by his grace they may believe on him and so come to him who will give them life John 6.27 29 32 33. for if he withdraw give them up for contempt then they cannot believe or come as John 12.35 40. with Mat. 13.14 15. Suffer not the day of visitation to pass by unminded take heed of being found the murmurers against him as John 6.43 least that be verified Matth. 23.37 38. Luke 19.42 4. Lastly this saying of our Saviour is not used to lay the blame of their not coming upon God but on themselves whose fault it was John 5.34 40. as Moses did the like Deut. 29.4 30.15 16. And so to reprove them for not accepting his words and coming while his Father was drawing and to shew the faithfulness of his ministration to them who had forewarned them of this and their departure to be of themselves because they refused to come in the Fathers drawing without which he had taught them they could not come he mindes them that therefore he had said this unto them vers 65. So that this saying agreeth well with and leads to the right understanding and use of that I have affirmed like that John 15.4 5. Phil. 2.13 It is God that worketh in you both the will and the deed c. Ans This is nothing against any thing I have affirmed because in that affirmed all that is good is shewn to be the free gift and work of God by Christ But the text is not as it is here aledged nor so as will bear such a sense but thus For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of good pleasure or as some both to will and to accomplish according to his good pleasure or as others both to will and to do of good will all these having one and the same sense the will being theirs though given them of God and the doing appertaining to them though by that strength given them of God and that grace discovered and given which moveth the will to that is good being another gift of God and his work and that strength enabling them to do being a fruit of the same grace and Spirit and so of God inabling them for to do that is spiritually good so as if they yield up to it they have the favour and strength of God going along with them to assist bless and safeguard them but if they neglect and smother the light and motion turning aside and rebell against him then can they without him do nothing that is good but resisting against God they may fear decays and chastisements whence those admonitions Eph. 4.30 1 Thes 5.19 1 John 3.17 And upon this ground the Apostle exhorteth them to work out their own Salvation that which wrought within them and this with fear and trembling and to do all things this grace requireth without murmurings or disputings that they might be blameless c. So that this all the way opens confirms a●● leads to the right use of what I have affirmed like that in John 15.4 5. though in this place also believers and men spiritu●… are spoken to who have some portion of the Spirit of grace and so some discerning of and begun freedom in their will for and to that which is spiritually good and supernatural yea and working in them and are directed about and exhorted to the right use of that as Col. 2.6 which because natural men want therefore it is requisit that the Gospel which discovers that which will work it if attended to be discovered to them and they exhorted according to that light and freedom God giveth them to believe and receive the love of the truth to save them that so they may receive that which yet they have not And thus have I faithfully and plainly in homely phrases declared our perswasion in this business and if in this any that love Jesus Christ and seek the glory of God in Christ and the good of men be otherwise minded I hope wherein soever either of us come short of the fulness of truth our gracious God will reveal the same to us onely whereto we have already attained let us walk by the same rule let us minde the same thing and not judge or dispise defame and slander one another But with all humbleness of minde endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and joyntly seek the glory of our Master Christ Jesus and the good of those he hath dyed for and the prosperity of those whom by virtue of his death he hath brought in to believe in him which is the desire and shall be the prayer of the meanest and unworthiest of that number Thomas Moore Whittlesee Decemb. 12. Ann. 1651. FINIS

diversly abused is too evident 1. By some in a willing withdrawing and turning aside after such knowledge and operations of truth given a fearfull and dangerous evil Hos 11.1 4 7. Ezek. 24.13 Prov. 1.24 2. By others though not prevailed with to receive the love of the truth to save renew and cleanse them yet lifting up themselves to high conceits of themselves as more excellent than others because of such visits shines and motions and even on that ground also boasting of their enjoyments of free grace and peculiar favour a dangerous evil Prov. 30.13 Jude 5.6 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. the Lord give such timely repentance 3. Yet lastly that we may fully and rightly understand this business there is one thing more to be considered namely how long any is to be reckoned in the number of natural men and that according to Scripture account is untill by the grace of God in Christ discovered they be brought in to believe in Jesus Christ and then they are something else and better than meer natural men or till for persisting in resisting this grace they be left and so given up and reprobated of God and then they be something else and worse than meer natural men the first of these have a begun freedom of will not onely to chuse spiritual good things for that they have already but also to pursue abide in and follow after the same which no meer natural man hath and the latter have lost that freedom they have before given them to moral good things and attention to mediums for spiritual good being void of judgement therein and till men become one of these two sorts they even all men besides both rich and poor wise and simple learned and unlearned in offices ecclesiastical or civil and out of office within or without the pale of the profest Church Jews or Gentiles civil or deboyst idolatrous superstitious devout or profane and scoffers meek or furious chaste or unchaste liberal or covetous c. They are all of them natural and but natural men untill as is said 1. That by the love or grace of God in Christ that dyed for sinners discerned and believed they be brought to deny and disown themselves their own sins purposes and ways so as they believe on God in Christ therein accepting this grace to save comfort renew and guide them the bent of their heart being set to depend on God to enjoy honour and please him waiting on him for preservation and eternal life these though men and in a sense natural men still Acts. 14.15 yet also indeed and in truth they are something else more and better than natural men even the Sons of God by faith Gal. 3.26 Born of God John 1.12 13. of water and the spirit John 3.3 5. By the grace and spirit of God in and by Christ Rom. 5.6 8 10. Tit. 3.4 5 6. 1 Pet. 1.21 And so all that by the freeness of Gods love appearing in the death of Christ are brought to believe in Christ and so have him by his Word and Spirit abiding in them and they by faith and love abiding in him these all these whether babes strong men or fathers all are the sons of God members of Christ and in some degree spiritual yea though by reason of some weakness and oppositions of flesh and world some be more carnal than spiritual Rom. 7.14 1 Cor. 1.2 3. So that such believers all and every one of them have not onely such a freedom of will as that they might chuse that is good according to their understanding in things natural and moral and attention to the outward mediums for spiritual good things and so such a light or spirit as God by Christ and for his sake giveth to every one that cometh into the world but they have received an oyntment from the holy One even the word of grace therein the spirit of grace into their spirit and so have a new heart a new spirit and so have not onely that by which attending their will might be made free or an opportunity in which they might have it or such a freedom onely in some spiritual visit that they might chuse life and spiritual good things but much more for by the election grace hath made in their hearts they have chosen life and spiritual good things Isai 56.45.1 Thes 2.13.2 Thes 1.10 And now have in their heart by the operation of God a begun freedom not onely to chuse yea and to will but even also to do spiritual things Phil. 2.12 13. And it is behoofull and gainfull for them to walk out in this grace as they have received Col. 2.6 Phil. 2.12 13. And in this freedom they are differenced from all natural men and much more from them that are worse than natural namely 2. Those who by continual lifting up their own understandings thinking to be wise and preferring their own thoughts purposes and lusts before the receiving and retaining the knowledge and teachings of God by nature or Scripture to turn at his reproof but follow the delusions of Satan till they have closed their eyes and stopped their ears and hardened their hearts in resisting the spirit and blotting out the light which God by Christ had given them and so resisted the truth declared and the holy Ghost in his visits and strifes therein till they be left and given up to Satan and so reprobated and given up of God these and all and every of these though in a sense they be natural men still yet they are also some thing else and more and worse than natural men even the Sons of Belial of the wicked one the seed of the Serpent emphatically the reprobate and wicked indeed that now cannot believe Prov. 1.24 36. Ezek. 24.13 Jer. 6.16 30. Gen. 4.5 13. with 1 John 3.12 Rom. 1.18 28. John 12.38 40. And these having lost that light they had despited the spirit that would have given them more and for that given up of God they are not onely destitute of all freedom of will to spiritual but even to moral good and set with a full resoluteness in their will to do the works of their father the devil being void of all right judgement John 8.41 44. Rom. 1 24 28. And in this they are differenced not onely from believers but from all other men that are reckoned in the number of natural men And now having been so large in opening this business let all this be brought together let the will be considered as one of the faculties of the soul and the freedom for a libertie not from a command or lawfullness but in it self to chuse the one or the other in things proffered let the things be considered as distinct natural and moral and spiritual and of what and to which is spoken in any affirmation let the natural man be considered as he was righteous but is fallen in and through Adam and redemption wrought for him by Christ and some light given him