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	worship_n	worship_v	5,600	5	9.7787	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65809	The practice of Christian perfection wherein several considerations, cautions, and advices are set down, for the perfecting of the saints, and completing them in the knowledge of Christ Jesus / by Thomas White ...	White, Thomas, d. 1682.	1651 (1651)	Wing W1852; ESTC R39071	46,849	191

humane reason or wisdome without the love of God being in us how could it prove whether wee did love GOD or no if wee could finde out the fallacy of that deceit without love 2. In the 2d of Thessal 2. 10 11. God will send strong delusions that those which love not the truth be they never so learned shall not be able to know it for if so be it were said they should professe lyes it might be that they knew the truth though they professed the contrary but it is said they beleeved lyes Our saviour gives this reason why hee would manifest himselfe to his Disciples and not to the world viz. because the world did not love him John 14. 22 23. For none will unbosome himselfe unto an Enemy nor mayst thou think to master God by thy Learning and know him whether he will or no for God must manifest himselfe or else thou canst never know him and he will not manifest himselfe to thee except thou love him though thou beest never so learned or great a Politician Mat. 11. 25. For you must understand it is not a speculative knowledge but a knowledge of acquaintance So in that sense is that saying of our Saviour verified Matth. 7. 23. And this knowledge of God is not got by study but by prayer and meditation by an inward strict communion with God and the friends of God the Saints but especially with Christ the Son of God for he is the expresse image of God the Father c. Can we be acquainted with a man whether he will or no nor can we be throughly acquainted with a wise holy man that is we cannot know his wisdome and holinesse without much observing and pondering his words and actions nor can we much observe and be acquainted with any with whom wee do not dwell and have private Conference Thou mayst know God to discourse of him and to write learned tracts yet if thou art not acquainted with God at the last day God will not know thee Therefore be much with God and to that purpose I have one humble and earnest request to you though I need not be very earnest to obtaine so small one it is that you would spend an hour every day in prayer meditation and searching out the inward spirituall corruptions of your owne heart and an impartiall examining what interest you have in Christ and such like spirituall exercises do not you say How can you prove that we are bound to spend one hour every day For 1. Suppose God when you goe to prayers should answer you so How can you prove that I am bound to give you such a mercy Thou mayst cause God to carry himselfe as froward by this froward answer for it is said With the froward he will shew frowardnesse 2. How wilt thou spend eternity in the admirings adoreings and praysings of God if an hour spent so is now so irksome to thee how shall it then be thine Heaven if it be now thine hell 3. Is it a friendly answer If a friend should come to desire a courtesie of you do you so answer him how can you prove that I am bound to do it 4. Consider This is the question of a slave to ask What must I do but the question of a friend and a child is What may I doe to please my Father or my friend 5. Keepe this answer untill the World or the Flesh come unto thee give this answer to those thine enemies and not to thy God 6. Dost thou stand out Shall the great and holy God be ready and willing to meet thee and have communion with thee as often and as long as thou pleasest and shalt thou refuse It should be his part one would think to be hard to be intreatted not thine Shall he account it his riches to bestow mercies on thee and thou account it thy trouble to receive them 7. Do but doe that which thou art bound to do viz. Love God with all thy soul with all thy minde and with all thy strength and then thou wilt ask not Why so much but Why no more And indeed when once thou hast found the sweetnesse and profit thouthy self wilt not onely continue but increase these holy duties and that is the reason why I propose no more time because I suppose this being spiritually spent more will follow of it self David wisheth us to taste and see how gracious the Lord is not because he would not have us feed on him but because if wee once taste how good he is hee supposeth it needless to wish us to feed on him 8. if thy friend comes to visit thee thou wilt afford him an hour with thanks he comes in his own name but I come unto thee in my fathers desiring thee to afford God as much if thou deniest that saying of our Saviour belongs unto thee John 5. 43. I am come in my Fathers name and ye receive me not if another come in his owne name him ye will receive To conclude I desire to speak one word more as to humane Learning which I account of singular use for the understandiug of the word of God and have doted on it as much as any and love it still as much as I dare for I account the love of it dangerous the use of it very advantageous and could I set down how far I have gone in it with the same spirit that Saint Paul doth set down Phil. 3. his excellencies in leg all priviledges and righteousnesse I would but I account it safer for me to be thought wholly ignorant then to venture priding my self of that small knowledge I have yet thus much I conceive of humane Learning that besides the incertainty of it there are many inconveniences incident to it 1. Our thoughts are wholly taken up with it when wee are studying of it which are not necessarily so in other employments for one may buy and sell and yet have our mindes often upon GOD even in the very midst of those employments 2. Men generally judge of the truths and wayes of Gods Worship according to that way of Learning wherein they excell Those who excell in the Fathers and Church Histories are subject to admit of the Truths and Wayes of GOD's Worship because they are attested and warranted by them Those who most excell in Phylosophy and Schoole Divinity they make Reason the touchstone to try even Gospell truths by yet I doe much esteem of these Egyptian Jewells so wee make not an Idoll of them and fall downe and worship them 3. And lastly I finde it as hard a thing to deny humane Learning as to get it Moses is much to be admired who being brought up in all the Learning of the Egyptians yet preached so plainely as you may see in Deuteronomy and Paul who preached so very plaine that his adversaries objected it against him Consider what is said and the Lord give you understanding in all things Your Servant in the Lord THOMAS WHITE A