Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	ghost_n	holy_a	son_n	6,613	5	5.5143	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A23649	The way of the Spirit in bringing souls to Christ set forth in X sermons on John 16:7, 8, 9, 10 and chap 7:37 / by Mr. Thomas Allen, late pastor of a church in ... Norwich.	Allen, Thomas, 1608-1673.; Finch, Martin, 1628?-1698.	1676 (1676)	Wing A1047; ESTC R23572	153,393	274

it is his very Being his very Essence for he is a God of Truth and in comparison of him all men in the World are liars Let God be true and every men a liar Rom. 3.4 He is so infinitely true that he is Truth it self and it is impossible for him to lie as the Apostle saith Tit. 2. God must cease to be God if any untruth should be found in him and yet now mark Unbelief doth cast so great a reproach upon God as to say God is a liar You have it expresly 1 John 5.10 11. He that believeth not on the Son of God hath made God a liar because he believeth not the record that God hath given of his Son Now what is the record that God hath given of his Son Verse 11. This is the Record that God hath given to us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son Here is the Record that God from Heaven doth hold forth in the Gospel here is eternal life and Salvation to be had through Jesus Christ to every one that doth believe this is the great Truth that the Gospel doth hold forth now such as do not receive this Truth and Testimony Unbelievers that remain in their unbelief they go on every day to make God a liar Question But you will say how do we by unbelief make God a liar Answer How briefly thus When a Soul goes on notwithstanding God holds forth this Record that here is Eternal Life to be had by believing on Christ this is the great Truth that God doth bear witness to in the Gospel now when people do no more regard this so great Truth though it be daily held forth to them yet they regard it no more than they do the Words of one that they know to be an arrant Liar Now one that is known to be a liar if he should promise a man never so much he would make no great matter of it he promiseth to furnish him with mony at his need but he doth not trust to it he knows he is a liar and therefore he is fain to provide for himself as well as he can Thus it is God doth promise eternal life to the soul that doth accept of Jesus Christ if you will believe on Christ here is eternal life for you this is the great Truth that God doth bear witness to in the Gospel now this Gospel is preached and published and proclaimed Now when people have no more regard to this great Truth of the Gospel than they have to the words of a liar then they make God a liar they say this is a lie let God say what he will I will not believe a word of it but we will look for salvation another way we will shift for our selves as well as we can by our own duties and services we will find the life in our own hands so long as any poor soul goes on in a course of unbelief he goes on continually to say that God is a liar O Brethren would it not make your ears tingle and your hearts ake to hear a man go up and down the streets saying God is a liar I will not believe one word that he saith you would say if the man were in his wits it is pity that he is suffered to live thus to blaspheme the true God Why truly this is the case and course of every one that lives under the Gospel under this Record that God doth bear concerning Jesus Christ and eternal life to be had in him and yet they go on in a course and state of unbelief and make nothing of all this they do proclaim and say that God is a liar and I do not believe one word that he saith what desperate and horrible blasphemy is this It may be you make no great matter of this but notwithstanding thus it is the Holy Ghost saith He that believeth not the Record that God hath given of his Son he makes God a liar And is not this a great sin to strike at the very Being of God for if God be not a God of Truth he must cease to be God That is the second Demonstration That Unbelief as it is a sin so it is the greatest of sins But then 3. Unbelief appears to be a great sin Because it is that whereby people do despise with the greatest despite the greatest kindness and favour that God can shew to poor creatures they do as it were spurn and kick away the kindness of God with a spurn of the foot God in the Gospel doth hold forth the greatest kindness and favour that can be shown to poor sinners he offers to them life and salvation peace and pardon and reconciliation Now for persons not to regard this O! it is a despising with the greatest despite the highest kindness and favour that God can shew to poor sinners I pray do but consider three or four things that you may see what a high contempt it is of the greatest kindness that can be shown to poor creatures 1. Consider but the State and Condition of those to whom God doth offer and tender his Grace in the Gospel What are they to whom God proclaims his Gospel and offers pardon and reconciliation and peace and life and salvation Who are they A company of poor condemned creatures that are under the sentence of eternal death and condemnation poor hopeless and helpless undone creatures We are all under a sentence of eternal death continually so long as we are in a state of unbelief The soul that sinneth it shall dy God hath pronounced this sentence upon every sinners head Now that God should offer and tender and shew himself ready to shew kindness unto poor undone creatures poor condemned creatures condemned to eternal death and for such poor creatures to slight this kindness Is not this a sin and provocation with a witness Is it not a great kindness for a King to shew such favour to a poor condemned creature that is ready to the Gallows if the King should send him his pardon It would be counted a kindness and a favour indeed Truly Brethren we are all condemned creatures sentenced to eternal death now that God should be pleased to have any intendment of good will and favour towards such as we are especially if you consider the state of Angels that fell and are under a sentence of eternal condemnation that God should leave them hopeless and helpless for ever pass by them and shew favour to poor sinful mankind here is a favour and kindness indeed We might all have perished and God had lost nothing at all he had been infinitely glorious and just for ever And then again 2. Consider how God hath set his infinite Wisdom on work to contrive and find out a way to manifest his goodness and favour to poor sinners which all the Angels in Heaven could never have done that there should be a way found out to save sinners that have infinitely offended and wronged the justice of

THE WAY OF THE SPIRIT In bringing SOULS TO CHRIST Set forth in X. SERMONS ON JOHN 16.7 8 9 10. And CHAP. 7.37 By that able and faithful Servant of Jesus Christ Mr. Thomas Allen late Pastor of a Church in the City of Norwich London Printed in the Year 1676. To the Reader HAving a sight of these Sermons before they went to the press I thought fit to speak something of them and something of the Author 1. As to these Sermons The design of them is excellent First they shew that the Holy Ghost in bringing Souls to Christ doth first convince them of sin so making them to feel their need of Christ working in them to hunger and thirst after him prize him above all and count all things loss and dung in comparison of him Secondly In these Sermons is excellently set forth the fulness and righteousness of the Lord Jesus whereby he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him Thirdly here is set forth how freely Christ admits sinners to come unto him that they may have life not standing upon any merit or worthiness in us but only works our hearts to a sense of our own vileness and unworthiness and by a secret work of his Spirit draws the humbled and convinced sinner to take of the water of life freely Possibly some may meet with a few passages in some of these Sermons that they may not clearly understand Let such consider that these Notes were neither intended nor prepared by the Author for the Press but taken in short hand from the mouth of the Preacher in which case there must be great allowance Likewise some may think the Author did inculcate things too much and was not so concise and sententious as were to be desired In answer to that I would say that in my poor judgment I always looked upon it as one of the many excellent gifts of God bestowed upon him that he had a great dexterity in clearing and urging things with variety of expressions As he was a heart Christian so he was a heart Preacher and those things that are to be wrought upon the hearts of the hearers are to be sufficientey cleared to their understandings and earnestly set home to their Souls and Consciences though God can set in with a short hint to convert a soul and enlarge that with great light and power upon the hearer that was not sufficiently cleared and urged by the Preacher yet truly 't is an excellence in a Preacher to set forth the truths of God plainly and fully with power and authority in the name of Christ 2. As to the Author of these Sermons that burning and shining light Mr. Thomas Allen now with Christ I must needs say something having such an opportunity of the exceeding grace of God in him 1. I will speak of him as a Christian He was one that obtained mercy to fear the Lord from his youth and soon grew up to sueh a measure of grace as to be one of the highest form in Christs school he attained to be more than one of the children or young men in Christ even to be one of the Fathers one of the most grown and most experienced Christians full of Faith and of the Holy Ghost His heart was much awed with a holy reverence of God he was a man of a tender conscience fearful to offend God Christ was exceeding precious to him he made him all his salvation and all his desire he was full of holy zeal valiant for the Truth he had a heart for God and a tongue for God upon all occasions In communicating to others necessities he was so free that usually he did beyond his estate he was every way eminent in grace adorning the Gospel with a holy fruitful conversaion 2. As a Minister he was very able and faithful he was an excellent Preacher plain and powerful in his doctrine and though he was a learned man yet he preached without all ostentation he did not confound his hearers with obscure terms and fantastical expressions but endeavoured to set forth the Truths of God in the most plain and convincing way to the consciences of men He preached not himself but Christ he was not desirous of vain glory In his preaching he was not in jest playing with his Text and with the souls of men as the manner of some is but was in sober sadness and good earnest to bring souls to Christ and build them up in him He was eminent in self-denial he made not the Ministry a trade to get mony his design was not to make himself rich in the World but to make others rich in grace In those places in which he laboured he might say with the Apostle that he sought not theirs but them not their goods but their good It 's no dishonour to a Minister of Christ to live of a little and to leave but little when he dyes Proud lordly self seeking high living Ministers no way suit the Gospel of Christ which was first preached by a company of poor men without any worldly splendor who went through wonderful hardships and difficulties in fulfilling the Ministry which they received of the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 6.4 5. 2 Cor. 11 23 24 c. but are rather like the Merchants of Babylon who grow rich and great with the abundance of her delicacies Rev. 18.3.11.12 Another thing that I would mention of this worthy man was his marvellous condescension in private discourses to his brethren in the Ministry who were much inferiour to him in age and gifts not standing upon his own great worth never exalting himself but preferring them above himself hearing their judgments in any matter with as great reverence and respect as if they had been his Superiors Surely his humility was extraordinary and a notable example to all that knew him As he was a Scribe instructed to the Kingdom of God in all points of the Doctrine of Religion so he was expert in all Questions about Church-discipline above many for which he had been much advantaged by living so long in New-England and having there such intimate acquaintance with those famous men Mr. Bulkly Mr. Hooker Mr. Cotton Mr. Shephard and others there who lived in his heart when they were dead and he delighted to speak and to relate some remarkable passages of them One thing more I would take notice of in this man of God he was full of compassion to those that were under violent temptations and terrors of Conscience and very judicious to direct them in the way to find rest unto their souls Whil'st I commend this Servant of Jesus Christ let none be offended as if I thought or spake of man above what is meet I know indeed there is in these days a kind of man-worship a crying up this man and the other and having their persons and preaching in admiration without cause when in the mean while who almost cryeth up the Lord Jesus and maketh him all in

hath given him authority to execute Judgment also because he is the Son of man As the Father hath life in himself so there is fulness of power and authority given out unto Jesus Christ to give out to whom he will and he gives and communicates as being full of the Spirit 1. He communicates of the Spirit and Holy Ghost to whom he will He gives the Spirit and therefore promises it to his Disciples John 16.7 When they heard of his departure from them that night he should be betrayed Christ having given them a hint of it they were troubled and saith Christ Because I tell you the truth you are grieved yet nevertheless it is expedient for you that I go away and that you be deprived of my presence for when I go away I will send the Holy Ghost the Comforter unto you And so the Apostle Peter Acts 2. When the Holy Ghost fell upon the twelve with fiery tongues the people marvelled at it and thought they were drunk with new wine no saith Peter These are not drunken with new wine as you suppose this is an effect of the Promise as to the latter days according to Joels Prophecy And 2. Again He communicates of the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit The Graces of the Spirit are given out by Jesus Christ Eph. 4.8 When he ascended on high he led Captivity Captive and gave Gifts unto men And so the Apostle saith Grace and Peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ He giveth Gifts and Graces 3. And so again Christ doth communicate and give out Forgiveness and Remission of Sin He hath power and authority to give out that as Mat. 9. When they brought the Palsey man and Christ saw their faith saith he Son be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee and certain of them thought he had blasphemed well saith he That I may shew unto you that I have power on earth to forgive sins I say unto thee Son take up thy bed and walk And so Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his own right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give unto Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins And 4. Again Jesus Christ doth communicate Peace and Consolation Peace with God and true Comfort Being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ And so in another place If there be any consolation in Christ Jesus taking it for granted there is consolation in Jesus Christ and all true consolation comes from him And so as our sufferings abound so do our consolations abound much more through Jesus Christ our Lord. Again 5. It is Jesus Christ also that doth communicate and give out eternal life to whom he will Saith he My sheep hear my voice and they follow me and I give them eternal life Brethren Christ hath power and authority to give out all spiritual blessings a fountain having all fulness so they that come to Christ for a supply come to a full fountain Brethren if so be that Jesus Christ were full of the Spirit and full of grace yet if he were not full as a fountain he could not communicate look now as it is with a bucket though it may be full of water yet notwithstanding it hath not the fulness of a fountain as it doth supply any it hath so much the less but Christ now being a fountain-fulness though he communicate never so much yet still there is the same fulness as now go to the sea all the rivers in the World are filled with the sea and yet the sea hath never a whit the less and so the Sun hath given out its light day by day four thousand years together and yet the Sun hath never the less light in it because it is the fountain of light So Christ now being a fountain hath never the less in communicating still as much grace as much holiness as much righteousness as before And so the Saints some of them have been full of the Holy Ghost as Stephen though yet notwithstanding their fulness is not the fulness of a fountain and so they cannot supply the want of others As the wise Virgins when the foolish Virgins wanted Oyl and their lamps were out they would have had oyl of the wise but say they we have none to spare none to communicate why because they have not a fountain But still now in Jesus Christ there is a fulness as a fountain of all grace whatsoever That is the first Demonstration 2. Secondly Take another withall and that is this to shew that there is a full supply in him because All that come to Jesus Christ are neer to him nay they are united to him They are made neer unto God being united unto Christ and thereupon they have a communication of his fulness from Union for Union is the cause of communication as now if the Branches of a Tree be united to the tree they communicate and partake of the trees root sap and nature of it Saith Christ I am the Vine ye are the Branches why now the branches of the Vine partake of the Vine look now as it is with the members of the natural body being joyned they do communicate and participate with all the members as the Head it is the seat of all the sensitive or animal Spirits and the head being united to the body there is a communication of all the senses from the head to every member according to its capacity why now Jesus Christ he is the head we are his members flesh of his flesh bone of his bone we are members of him being joyned to him and they that are joyned to the Lord are one Spirit we are by faith joyned to the Lord and Jesus Christ is said to dwell in us by faith there is a nearer union that the believing soul hath with Jesus Christ than any member hath to the natural body than any branch hath to a natural tree yea than our souls and bodies have to each other John 6.56 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him Now the nearer we be to a fountain the nearer a suply suppose one were in a fountain of water he must needs have enough suppose a man were in the body of the Sun he must needs be supplied with light Now the Soul that comes unto Christ and is in Christ it is in the fountain of living water and being in the fountain it must needs receive a full supply unto all its wants I say a very full supply That is a second Demonstration 3. Thirdly To take up one more I say we shall have a full supply because This same Fulness is communicated and given to Christ by the Father as Mediator for this end and purpose to give out and communicate to us For Brethren this fulness that is in Christ is communicated unto Christ as the fulness of the God-head for it seems to be an improper speech to say that