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	life_n	way_n	6,604	5	5.4332	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29681	An arke for all Gods Noahs in a gloomy stormy day, or, The best wine reserved till last, or, The transcendent excellency of a believers portion above all earthly portions whatsoever discovered in several sermons ... / by Thomas Brooks ...	Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.	1662 (1662)	Wing B4929; ESTC R6208	184,660	523

call upon my Name and I will hear them I will say it is my people and they shall say The Lord is my God O Sirs as ever you would have the great and glorious God for your portion plead out this noble promise cordially with God plead it out affectionately plead it out fervently plead it out frequently plead it out beleevingly plead it out resolutely plead it out incessantly O Sirs this choice promise is an hive full of heavenly honey 't is a paradise full of sweet flowers 't is a breast that is full of the milk of consolation Isa 66.11 and therefore be still a sucking at this breast be still a pleading of this promise follow God with this promise early and late follow him with this promise day and night Luk. 18.1 to the 9. v. follow him with this promise as the importunate Widow followed the unjust Judge and give him no rest till he hath made it good to your souls that he is your God and that he is your portion and that he is your salvation and that he is your all in all O tell him that above all things in this world your hearts are set on this to have God to be your God to have God to be your portion O tell him that you cannot tell him that you dare not tell him that you may not and tell him that you shall not be satisfied with any thing without God with any thing below God with any thing on this side God with any thing but God and therefore humbly intreat him and earnestly beseech him to be your God and to be your portion But Fourthly If you would have God for your portion Deut. 32.9 Jer. 12.10 Zech. 2.12 then you must be willing to be his portion God is resolved upon this that he will be no mans portion that is not willing to be his you must make a resignation of your selves to God if ever you would enjoy an interest in God you must be as willing to be his people as you are willing to have him to be your God you must be as much at Gods dispose as earthly portions are at your dispose or else there will be no enjoying of God to be your God God will ingage himself to none that are not willing to ingage themselves to him he that will not give his hand his heart to God shall never have any part or portion in God O Sirs as ever you would have God for your portion it highly concerns you to give up your selves to God with highest estimations and with most vigorous affections and with utmost indeavours according to that precious promise Isa 44.5 One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand to the Lord and sirname himself by the name of Israel God stands upon nothing so much as the giving up of your selves to him nor he is taken with nothing so much as the giving up of your selves to him Seneca do Benesic l. 1. I have read of Aeschines who seeing his fellow-scholars give great gifts viz. gold silver and jewels to his Master Socrates and he being poor and having nothing else to bestow he gave him himself which the Philosopher most kindly accepted esteeming this present above all those rich and costly presents that his other Scholars had presented to him and accordingly in love and sweetnesse he carried it towards him So there is nothing that God accepts loves likes and esteems like the giving up of a mans self unto him this is a present that God prefers above all the gold silver and sparkling jewels in the world Well Sirs remember this Such as are not as willing to say Lord we are thine as they are to say Lord thou art ours such shall never have God for their portion But Fifthly If you would have God for your portion then you must take up Christ in your arms and treat with God upon the credit of Christ there is no acquaintance with God Ephe. 2.16 Heb. 2.17 Col. 1.20 21. Ephes 1.6 7. there is no reconciliation to God there is no union nor communion with God there is no re-admission into the presence and favour of God without a Mediator God out of Christ is incomprehensible God out of Christ is exceeding terrible Heb. 12.9 an absolute God is a consuming fire and therefore sayes Luther Nolo Deum absolutum Let me have nothing to do with God himself The blood of Christ the blood of the Covenant is that and onely that that can cement re-unite and knit God and man together Themistocles understanding that King Admittus was highly displeased with him took up his young son into his armes Plutarch in Vita and treated with the father holding that his Darling in his bosome and thereby appeased the Kings wrath O Sirs the King of Kings is offended with you and upon the account of your sins he hath a very great controversie with you Now there is no way under heaven to pacifie his wrath and turn away his displeasure from you but by taking up Christ in your armes and by presenting all your suits in his name There is no Angel in heaven nor no Saint on earth that can or that dares to interpose between an angry God and poor sinners 't is only Christ Isa 9.6 the Prince of peace that can make up a sinners peace with God John 14.6 Jesus saith unto him I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the Father but by me There is no way to the Father but by the meritorious blood of the Son Isa 33.14 there are none that can stand between everlasting burnings and us but Christ You shall not see my face except you bring your brother Benjamin with you said Joseph to his brethren so sayes God Sinners sinners you shall not see my face Gen. 43.3 6. except you bring Jesus with you except you bring Christ in your armes you shall never see my face with joy you shall never see my face and live There is a Writ of Vengeance that is issued out of the Court of Heaven against poor sinners and except Christ stops in they will certainly fall under an eternal arrest and be thrown into everlasting perdition and destruction But Sixthly If you would have God for your portion then you must break your league with sin you must fall out with sin if ever you fall in with God sin and you must be two or God and you can never be one there is no propriety to be had in God except your hearts rise against that which first dis-united and dis-joynted you from God sin and you must part or God and you can never meet You shall as soon make an accommodation between light and darknesse 2 C●● 6.14 ult heaven and hell noon and midnight as ever you shall be able to make an accommodation between God and sinne So long

said the mother of the Graccht do you ask me where be my treasures my treasures are my friends said Constantius the father of Constantine So if you ask a Christian that hath God for his portion where his jewels his ornaments his treasures his comforts and the delights of his soul are he will answer you that they are all in God he will tell you that God is his portion and that God is his great all and that he enjoys all in God and God in all and therefore he cannot but prize God above all But to prevent mistakes in this weighty case let me give you a few brief hints As First If God be truly precious to thee then all of God is precious to thee his Name is precious to thee his Honour is precious to thee his Ordinances are precious to thee his Sabbaths are precious to thee his promises are precious to thee his precepts are precious to thee his threatnings are precious to thee his rebukes are precious to thee his people are precious to thee and all his concernments are precious to thee Look as every sparkling stone that is set round about a rich Diamond is precious in the eyes of the Jeweller so is every sparkling excellency in God precious in his eyes that sets an high value upon God It was an harlot that would have the child divided 1 Kings 3.25 26. Look as all of the new-born babe is precious in the eyes of the tender mother as head face hands arms body feet c. so all of God is very precious in his eyes that hath any tender regard of God and look as all of an husband is precious in the eyes of a loving wife viz. his person name credit honour estate liberty life c. so all of God is very precious in his eyes that loves God with a real love with a superlative love But Secondly If God be most precious to thee then all the dishonours that are done to God his truth his worship his wayes his ordinances his institutions his government his people are most grievous and burthensome to thee Psal 69.9 Ps 119.158 The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me I beheld the transgressours and was grieved because they kept not thy word the word that is here translated grieved is from Katat that signifies to loath abhor and contend I beheld the transgressours and I loathed them I beheld the transgressours and I abhorred them I beheld the transgressours and I contended with them but not so much because they were mine enemies as because they were thine T is just between God and all those that have a precious esteem of him as 't is between two Lute-strings that are tuned one to another no sooner one is struck but the other trembles Jer. 9.1 2 3 4. A Saint cannot see God struck but his heart will tremble A Father lying upon his death-bed called three children to him which he kept and told them that one onely of them was his natural son Mr. Perkins Government of the Tongue and that the other two were onely brought up by him therefore unto him onely he gave all his goods but which of those three was his own son he would not in any wise declare when he was dead every one pleaded his birth-right and the matter being brought to trial the Judge for the making if possible a true discovery took this course He caused the dead Corps of the Father to be set up against a tree and commanded the three sons to take bows and arrowes to shoot at their Father to see who could come neerest to his heart the first and second did shoot and hit him but the third was very much angry and displeased with them both and through the natural affection of a child to a father threw away his bow and arrows and would not shoot at all this being done the Judge gave this sentence viz. That the two first that shot at their supposed fathers heart were no sons but that the third son that would not shoot at all and that was very much displeased with those that did shoot was the true son and that he should have the goods O Sirs every bitter word is an arrow shot at the heart of God and every bloody oath is an arrow shot at the heart of God and every heavy curse is an arrow shot at the bea rt of God and every superstitious custome is an arrow shot at the heart of God and every snare that is laid for the righteous is an arrow shot at the heart of God and every yoke that is laid upon the people of God is an arrow shot at the heart of God and every affront that by debauched persons is given to God is an arrow shot at the heart of God c. And what true bred sons what ingenious sons can see such arrows every hour in the day shot at the heart of God and hear of such arrows that are shot a thousand thousand times in a day at the heart of God and not grieve and mourn and not be afflicted troubled displeased and astonished to see men and to hear of men that were once made in the Image of God to be turned into such incarnate Devils as thus to deal with God yea with such a God as can speak them into hell at his pleasure But Thirdly If God be most precious to you then you will part with any thing for God Phil. 3.7 8 Mat. 13.46 then you will let go any thing that you may hold your God and enjoy your God Gen. 22. Chap. 43. then your Isaac shall be made a sacrifice if God will have it so and your Benjamin shall be sent into Egypt if God will have it so Jonah 1. then your Jonah shall be cast over-board if God will have it so then out goes the right eye and off goes the right hand upon a divine command then you will never cry out O this mercy is too neer to me to part with for God and that comfort is too dear to me to part with for God c. O no but then you will say as the King of Sodome said to Abraham Gen. 14.21 Give me the persons and take the goods to thy self So you will say Give us God O give us God and let who will take the goods let who will take the honours and the profits and the pleasures of the world 't is enough that Joseph is alive 't is enough if we may but enjoy our God A Prince will part with any thing rather than he will part with his Crown-Jewels and so will a Christian rather part with any thing than upon choice to part with his God whom he values above all the Crown-Jewels in the world But Fourthly If God be most precious to thee then thou canst never have enough of God thou canst never have enough of communion with God thou canst never have enough of the presence of God

especially considering that their prayers Rom 8.26 27. cries tears sighs and groans are but the products of his own Spirit in them and considering likewise the several promises whereby he hath ingaged himself to answer to the prayers of his people I might tire both you and my self in turning to those particular promises but that I am resolved against and therefore take that for all Joh. 16.23 24. Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full This double asseveration Verily verily is never used but in matters of greatest weight and importance and this gemination Verily verily is a vehement confirmation of the truth of what Christ speaks Now from this gracious promise I may safely and clearly infer That if God the Father will give to believers whatsoever they ask in the name of Christ then certainly at first or last sooner or later he will give them assurance that he is their portion and that they have an undoubted interest and propriety in him for this is one of the grand requests that they are still a putting up in the name of Christ and upon the grant of this request depends the fulnesse of a Christians joy But Seventhly and lastly If God should not sooner or later more or lesse assure his people that he is their portion that they have an interest a propriety in him then he would be a very great loser if I may so speak he would lose many praises and many thanksgivings he would lose much of that love of that honour and of that delight and of that admiration which otherwise he might have from among his children And it is very observable that of all the duties of Religion there are none that are prest so closely so frequently and so strongly upon Christians as those of praising of God I might produce above a hundred Scriptures to evidence this and rejoycing in God c. as all know that know any thing of the Scripture Now how it will stand with the holinesse of God and with the wisdome of God and with the care of God to be so great a loser in the very things which he hath so roundly and earnestly prest upon his people when as by one sweet word of his mouth he might so easily and so happily prevent it I cannot easily discern All believers know that there is no such ready no such effectual way under heaven to draw out their love their joy their delight their praises and their thanksgivings to God as Gods assuring of them that he is their portion and that they have an unquestionable interest and propriety in him Certainly that God that loves the praises of his people and that dislights in the rejoycings of his people and that is so infinitely pleased with the thanksgivings of his people that God will not alwayes hide himself from his people that God will sooner or later so manifest himself to his people that they shall be able to see their interest and propriety in God and rejoycingly to say The Lord is our portion Now O you that are the people of the Lord and that to this very day do lie under many fears and doubts about your interest and propriety in God be not discouraged do not hang down the head do not despond do not despair for certainly sooner or later God will assure you that he is your portion and that you have an interest and a propriety in him FINIS THE TABLE A OF All. If God be the Saints portion then all is theirs Page 203. to Page 206. Of Assurance Such as have God for their portion should use all diligence to get an assurance in their own souls that God is their portion and that upon seven grounds p. 232. to p. 259. 'T is one thing for a man to have God for his portion and 't is another thing for a man to have an assurance in his own soul that God is his portion p. 423 424 425 426. That few Saints dye without some Assurance that God is their portion is made good by divers Arguments from p. 441. to the end of the Book C Of inordinate Cares Such as have God for their portion must away with all inordinate Cares for the things of this life and that upon six grounds p. 190. to p. 203. Of Christ A man that would have God for his portion must take up Christ in his arms and treat with God upon the credit of Christ p. 387 338 389 390. In Comparison of God all things are nothing A man that would have God for his portion must trample upon all other portions in comparison of God p. 382 383 384. Of Contentation Saints that have God for their portion ought to be content with their present outward condition and that upon severall grounds p. 136. to p. 153. D Of Death and Dying Such as have God for their portion should never be afraid to dye p. 228. to p. 232. The Doctrine That the Lord is the Saints portion the Lord is the Believers portion p. 7. E Of Esteeming of God above all A man that hath God for his portion sets the highest esteem the highest price the highest value upon God imaginable p. 311. to p. 315. Five wayes whereby a man may know whether God be highest in his estimation or no. p. 315. to 324. F Against Fretings Saints that have God for their portion should not fret nor vex themselves because of those earthly portions that God commonly bestowes upon the worst of men and that upon several Grounds p. 114. to p. 136. G What Saints should Glory in Such as have God for their portion must glory in their portion p. 178. to p. 182. The Grounds upon which Believers Title unto God as their portion is founded and bottomed are these First The free favour and love of God p. 107. to p. 109. Secondly Gods free and voluntary donation of himself to them in the Covenant of Grace p. 109. to p. 111. Thirdly That marriage-union that is between God and his people p. 111. to p. 114. H Of the Happy and unhappy man Saints that have God for their portion are the happiest men in all the world though this blind besotted world thinks otherwise p. 153. to p. 162. Of the Heart Such as have God for their portions should never set their hearts upon earthly portions p. 162. to p. 167. If God be thy portion then he carries thy heart from all other things the portion alwayes carries the heart with it p. 291. to p. 297. Of Holding fast A man that hath God for his portion will hold fast his portion and rather part with any thing than with his God p. 279. to p. 287. I Of Interest If you have an Interest in God then God hath an interest in you p. 340. to p. 345. Such as have an Interest and a propriety in God should evidence and