Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	heart_n	love_n	word_n	4,023	5	4.0687	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37223	A sermon on Psal. CXIX, v. 57 shewing wherein the good man's portion and dependence consists / by James Davies.	Davies, James, fl. 1657-1709.	1679 (1679)	Wing D386; ESTC R26076	19,113	40

nor regard what his Will and Pleasure is if we can but accomplish our own desires on any Terms Such eagerness and impetuousness of affection shews that our minds are not stayed upon God but that we look after other things besides him as Principal Ingredients of our happiness It shews that we are not rooted and grounded in his Love and that our Wills are not sufficiently subdued to his Holy Will and just Government It is a matter of great consequence therefore to have this indifferency firmly settled in our minds as that which will minister greatly to the ease and happiness of our lives and without which in some good measure we cannot be said in any tolerable sence to have God for our Portion Lastly If we would have God for our Portion we must do as David here resolves and promiseth I said or I have promised that I would keep thy Word To keep God's word is the same as to do his Commandments which the Psalmist subjoyns as the condition of that high priviledge of having God for his Portion He is not to be had on any other Terms neither are we to expect that he will make us happy in his favour when we provoke him with our Sins These intercept the Influences of his Grace and obscure the light of his Countenance They displease and provoke our Heavenly Father and make us unmeet for the Portion and Inheritance of his Children If we would have him for our God we must be his People and how can that be made appear but by being governed by his Laws This is the constant Tenour of the Covenant and there is no pretence nor priviledge whatsoever that can entitle us to the blessings of it unless we walk as the People of God 'T is not enough that we call our selves his People neither is it enough to do as those spoken of in the Prophet Ezech. 33. 31. They sit before thee as my people and hear thy words but they will not do them for with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their Covetousness God is not to be imposed upon by such Pretences neither will he be flattered where he is not truly loved and obeyed The truth of which is to be tryed by that rule of the Apostle Rom. 6. 16. Whom ye yield your selves Servants to obey his Servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of Sin unto death or of obedience unto Righteousness It is not enough that we wear his Livery or bear the badge of his Servants but we must do him actual service otherwise we cannot expect to receive wages from him God was in a peculiar manner the God of Israel and he calls himself a Husband to Israel but when they deserted his service and committed abomination he retracted that Relation and commanded the Prophet to use the name Lo-ammi● for ye are not my people and I will not be your God Hos. 1. 9. and Chapter 2. 2. she is not my wife neither am I her Husband God will not be ours unless we be His neither will it avail us to be his in Name only but we must be so in deed and in truth After all this it must be acknowledged that we are frail sinful Creatures and that our great security and confidence lyes in the Infinite Mercies of God and the merits of our Saviour But 't is a Religious care over our selves and over our ways that qualifies and makes us fit for the mercy of God that he may pardon that wherein through weakness we come short of our duty This was the Course that David took whom we find begging of God for mercy vers 2. be merciful unto me according to thy word but withal he resolves in this verse to keep God's Law and vers 3. he is said to have performed what he promised I turned my Feet to thy Testimonies And so Iob tho his great Confidence was in God yet the sence of his own Integrity made his confidence more rational and satisfied him that it was not only a vain presumption And therefore he thought it fit to make protestation of his Innocency and Integrity Chapter 31. To this purpose our Saviour plainly tells that young man Mat. 19. 17. if thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments Where he makes the one of these the necessary Condition of the other and implies that no man can obtain Eternal life without keeping the Commandments One thing more may be observ'd from the form of the words I have said or I have promised that I would keep thy words the Psalmist seems here to call to mind and renew some former resolution and promise whereby he had more solemnly devoted himself to the Service of God Herein we shall do well to follow his Example Doubtless good Resolutions not to speak now of Vowes are of great use to help to keep us close to our duty For when a man finds himself bound as it were by his own act and deed and engag'd by a Covenant which he has made with himself upon the best and most important Reasons this cannot but strengthen him in the performance of his duty David bound himself in the strictest bonds of this kind as is more fully exprest verse 106. I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy Righteous Iudgements Besides as this is useful to our selves so 't is available with God for the obtaining of his favour For when we thus dedicate and devote our selves and our lives to his service it will move him to communicate himself more freely to us and to become our Portion The design of all that has been said is first to move every considerate person to enter into Account with himself and see what Choice he has made Let him ask himself what has been and is his main business and design in the World and see what answer his Conscience will make him If he have yet made no settled Choice he has done very unwisely in spending so much time without design If he have made a wrong Choice it is high time to inquire into it to the end he may be convinced of his Error and amend it Let him know then that every one who lives in any vice or custom of Sin is justly interpreted to have made that his Choice although perhaps he have not chosen it with the Circumstances of a formal Deliberation and Election Now for the recovery of such a one 't is necessary for him to make an Estimate of the quality and true Value of that which he has accepted of for his Portion And indeed in this respect a vitious person may be said to have some advantage by his folly because he is or may be convinc't out of his own experience of the Emptiness vexation and dissatisfaction of the wayes of Sin If such a one would but hearken to his own reason and conscience or if he would but diligently consult his Memory I believe it might be left to himself to make