Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	grace_n	jesus_n	law_n	4,649	5	5.3571	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49318	The reasonableness of the Christian religion a sermon preached at the visitation held at Stoakesly in Cleveland, in Yorkshire : being the first visitation of the Reverend Mr. Long, B.D. and Arch-Deacon of Cleveland / by Ja. Lowde ...	Lowde, James.	1684 (1684)	Wing L3302; ESTC R14296	20,988	54

had to be offended at Christ or his Religion in General 2. I shall shew the particular Grounds and reasons upon which they were offended and also the weakness and unreasonableness of them 1. The Jews had little reason to be offended at Christ or his Religion in general if we consider 1. The great correspondency that is betwixt the Prophecies of the Law and the History of the Gospel how exactly the Gospel is the fulfilling of those Prophesies of the Messias which we meet withall in the Old Testament So that if the Jews had not given themselves up to an obstinate perverseness Moses himself would have lead them to Christ for how exactly do we find him described by the Prophets both as to the manner time and place of his Birth and the most remarkable Circumstances of his Life and Death these I shall not particularly insist upon as supposing them sufficiently known and manifest So that if it be possible to know a Person by any precedent Marks and Characters that may be given of him then we may be fully assured that Christ was that Messias which was Prophefied of in the Old Testament especially if we consider that there were some Marks and Characters which did and only could belong to himself as his being born of a Virgin and the manner and time of his Resurrection To these we may add the Consideration of those hard shifts and frivolous Evasions and forced Interpretations that the Jews make use of to evade the force of this Argument which tho' singly in their own Nature are no Proofs either of the truth of the Christian or falseness of the Jewish Doctrine in this particular yet to an Ingenuous and impartial Considerer they are additional confirmations of that truth which before we had more positive Grounds and Reasons to believe 2. The Jews had little reason to be offended at our Saviour if we consider the concurrence of those Qualifications which they themselves required in a true Prophet or at least in order to his tryal whether he was so or no Now the generally receiv'd Qualifications of this Nature were these 1. An eminent degree of Wisdome and Prudence 2. Of Courage and magnanimity 3. Of Vertue and Piety All which were so remarkable in our Saviour that the malice of Men and Devils was either forced to acknowledge them or not able to say any thing material against them To which if we add his Power of Working Miracles nothing further could be required in order to his being receiv'd as a true Prophet so that if the Jews would but either have admitted our Saviour to his tryal in this particular before they had condemn'd him or in judging made use of their own Rules in other ca'es of the like Nature they must have acknowledged Christ to have been a true Prophet So that he had both the Prophesies of the Law and the Principles and Practices of the Jews themselves in the like Cases in favour of him if any thing could have prevailed against Prejudice and Interest but they reject him by a Law which they themselves never acted by before and which they according to their own Principles must resolve shall never after be drawn into a precedent 3. The Jews had no reason to be offended at Christ or his Doctrine if we consider those many excellencies and advantages the Gospel had above the Law so that whatever it was the Jewish boasted it self above other Nations of the Gentile World even in those very things did the Gospel much outdo them As 1. We have under the Gospel a clearer Manifestation of those fundamental Truths which were but obscurely shadowed out under the Law Now are shadows turned into Substances and Types into Realities the Law came by Moses but Grace and Truth by Jesus Christ. I doubt not but the more divinely Instructed among the Jews did rightly understand and piously expect a future state of Immortality Yet 't is probable that the Common sort amongst them look'd no further then the Letter of the Law expecting no other reward of their Obedience then the enjoyment of a Land flowing with Milk and Honey it being the great Prerogative of the Gospel that it brought Life and Immortality to Light that is made a more full and clear discovery of it 2. We have a more plentiful effusion of the Spirit and divine assistance now under the Gospel then ever was known under the Law this was the time of which it was Prophefied that God would power out his Spirit upon all Flesh and that all from the highest to the lowest should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught of God But this is not so to be understood as some of our late Enthusiasts do interpret it as if we should now expect any new Revelations either above or besides the Will of God made known to us in Scripture But this Prophesie was then fignally fulfilled when God powr'd out his Spirit upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost thereby furnishing them with Gifts and Graces for the planting of his Church and promulging the Gospel And it is also this day fulfilled in the Hearts of all good Christians as God by his preventing and assisting Grace doth accompany particular Persons and assists them to Work out their own Salvation with Fear and Trembling And thus much for the first particular to show in general that the Jews had no just reason to be offended at Christ and his Doctrine and that it was rather Malice and Envy against his Religion that it had so much of Truth and Reason on its side rather than Contempt for the want of either that moved them to a dislike of it 2. I shall show the particular Grounds and Reasons upon which the Jews were offened at the Gospel which more especially were these two 1. They thought the Christian Religion not sufficiently confirmed with Signs and Wonders 2. They were offended at the meanness of Christs Life and the dishonour of his Death 1. They were affended at the Christian Religion as supposing it not sufficiently confirm'd by Miracles Verse 22. The Jews require a Sign But in Answer to this it will be sufficient only to remind you that Christ did Confirm his Doctrine and the truth of his mission with sufficient Signs and Miracles beyond the possibility of any reasonable Exception if we consider either the number or quality or manner of Performance or the end and design of them which was always either for the necessary Confirmation of his Doctrine or in Compassion to the Souls and Bodies of Men never to gratifie Curiosity in others or vain Glory or Ostentation in himself so that the manner of their performance sometimes only by a word together with the end and design of them the promoting the great Designs of Truth and Charity those seem still to add more Divinity to his Miracles And farther our Saviour at his having the World did invest his Apostles with the same Power of Working Miracles so far and so