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	spirit_n	word_n	8,255	5	4.2520	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19716	The care of a Christian conscience Ten sermons on the 25 psalme, preached in Tewkesburie in the countie of Gloucester, By Richard Curtis.	Curteys, Richard, 1532?-1582.	1600 (1600)	STC 6134; ESTC S111010	79,468	216

a father he is to his children Therefore Iudgement and way signifie none other thing then the gouernment whereby he sheweth himselfe as an excellent good father to his children Doct. 1 The 1. Doct. The poore in Spirite onely are directed by the Lord to haue a right iudgement in all things that concerne the glory of God the saluatiō of their soules The Reason is God resisteth the proud 1. Pet. 5.5 such as are wise in their owne conceit Decke your selues inwardly in lowlinesse of mind for God resisteth the proude and giueth grace to the humble Math. 13.11 And he answered said Because it is giuē to you to know the secrets of the kingdome of God The vse is That we pray to God to giue vs his spirit of iudgement of the workes of the Lord. And first of his word Let vs consider how gratious the Lord is to them that are méeke to them he will open his iudgements which to the prowde are secrete vnknowen as to the Papistes many others A foolishnes of self estimation of self-wéening of our selues that wée are of some value is so rooted in man possessed with the spirit of pride that it is very hard to bring thē euen vs regenerate to a right vnderstāding of our owne wāts so as we might be cléere from all pryde presumption Concerning the doctrine of Election Reprobation Wheras the Apostle knew that flesh blood would dispute Why should God elect some refuse other some Rom. 9.20 he answereth But O man what art thou which pleadest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus vers 21. Hath not the potter power of the clay to make of the same lūpe one vessell to honour and another to dishonour And this he setteth downe after that he had alledged the obiections wherein men thinke thēselues to haue a faire colour to dispute against God and to demaund why hée should destroy those whom he hath created why he should put difference betweene one and another without knowing any causes so that the one should be loued the other refused Therfore whēsoeuer any such temptation hath taken hold on vs let vs pray vnto GOD to make vs lowly and poore in Spirite then shall we haue a right iudgement of his secrete mysteries and wonderfull workes When we treat of Gods word euery man almost falleth to it at aduenture and euery one shootes out his verdit as though they reasoned but of moon-shine in the water so vnreuerently wée speake thereof The things therein contayned be such as passe all mans vnderstanding and yet notwithstanding it is manifest that some are bold to treat of Gods high mysteries without reuerēce which ought to rauish our wits to wonder at them which with al feare trembling we ought to honour I say we are bolder to babble of them then if a man spake of a matter but of 5. shillings value or of some trifle I know not what And what is the cause thereof but that men haue not cōsidered how God hideth ouercasteth his owne secrete determinatiōs hath in his holy Scriptures vttered vnto vs his wil whereunto it behoueth vs to be subiect We sée on the one side how the Papistes blaspheme God wresting falsifying marring corrupting the whole holy Scripture so that they spare not to scorne God his word And why They neuer knew what it is to haue a right iudgement in Gods will word they are possessed with the spirit of pride the spirite of sound iudgement is farre from thē they scorne at our answere when to their demand Who shal iudge of the true meaning sence of the Scriptures we say The holy spirit shal doth lead not onely the whole Church but euery particular singular member of the Church into all truth Campianan ratione Sophismat Also there are drunkards which could find in their harts to subdue God in their fantastical mind Yf they were the wisest men in the world the best séene in the holy Scriptures yet shall they be faine to stowpe to this point that Gods purposes are aboue our reach But they are vtterly dull brutish there is neither skill nor reason in them the wine ouer-mastereth thē they are worse then swine yet will néeds be Diuines and wil controll things in such sort that if a man should now beléeue them he should be driuen to forge and frame a new Gospell Let vs alwaies know that whensoeuer wée speake of God of his workes or of his word they are high matters On the other side what is it that we cā bring forth of our selues except wee be truly humbled what is that little that wee can conceiue in our vnderstanding Euen wordes without knowledge Let men put themselues into the balance and they shal be found lighter then vanitie it selfe as it is said in the Psalme Psal 62.10 So much the more it behooueth vs to marke this doctrine that there is neither skill aptnesse nor iudgement in vs to entreat of Gods workes or his word except he vouchsafe by his blessed Spirite to direct vs. Let vs therfore pray vnto his diuine Maiesty to vouchsafe of his vnspeakeable mercy and goodnesse to powre downe his holy Spirite into our hearts that whereas by the fall of our first parents our Iudgements concerning Gods mysteries his workes and word are corrupted and therefore haue néed of direction that by the same Spirite of truth and iudgement wée may be ledde into all truth and iudgement so shall wée iudge according to his holy will Let vs also mislike our selues to the end wée may resort vnto him to find the goodnesse there which wanteth in our selues that thereupon it may please him so to gouerne vs by his holy Spirite that beyng replenished with his glory wée may haue wherewith to glory not in our selues but onely in him And teach the humble his way Text. Doct. 2 2. Doct. The Lord will surely teach the humble the way of his gratious fauour The Reason is Vnto him that hath it shal be giuen by him As the Lord hath giuen him humility which is a spirituall gift and grace bestowed vpon the elect onely whom he especially loueth as a father Psalm 103. much more will he cause him to tast of his prouidēce which extendeth it selfe in respect of sustentatiō not onely to the wicked but to euery liuing creature be it neuer so base Vse The Vse is That wee magnifie the glorious name of our good and gratious Father who so mercifully causeth vs the childrē of wrath to become his children by adoption and assureth vs without all doubting of the continuance of his fauour towards vs. This doctrine of Gods fauour towardes the humble his children is comfortable to our conscience and therefore the longer to be vrged and taught Euery man naturally séeketh to comfort himselfe some by voluptuousnesse some by worldly wealth some by

we trust in God when others make flesh their arme so shall wée séeke for lawfull meanes to escape whē others shal vnlawfully therfore vnprofitably shal seeke to law to auoid danger We must hold therefore a generall rule that our trust must be vpon the promises of God And now let vs consider what God promiseth God saith Ps 118.1 2 3 4. that if he hath thought vpon vs to day to fauour vs he will not forget vs to morrow but wée shall be helped by his hand all our life long Psalm 89 28. My mercy will I keepe saith God for him that is Dauid for euermore and my couenant shall stand fast with him Behold what his promise is Then may we well assure our selues that GOD will alwaies kéepe vs and that by meanes thereof we shal not be in daunger of falling into decay Psal 23. But yet herewithall wee must make our accompt to be subiect to fall into many inconueniences For our gratious and louing father saith not that he will kéepe vs as it were shutte vp in a mewe that we should sée none aduersitie nor be acquainted with any trouble but be in continuall ioy and felicity he promiseth vs no such matter but onely that he will ayd and succour vs in all our necessities Wherfore it behooueth vs to vnderstand that God wil exercise vs with many aduersities that we are subiect to the cōmon afflictions of this present life that in the meane season it ought to suffice vs that wée shal be aided by him and that wée shall not be vtterly forsaken Seing the case so standeth let vs not sléepe when we be in prosperity as though this state were euerlasting so as nothing could chaunge it And therefore in presuming so farre we step beyond our bounds Why so Our louing good Father telleth vs that wee may peraduenture suffer many aduersities but hée will helpe vs continually Now then in the meane while wée shal fight yea be assailed at all assaies And they that passe their boundes shal be punished for their ouerhardines yea the faithful may euer looke for strokes yet neuer cease to be quiet to possesse their soules in patience How so when wée consider the chaunges turmoylings of this world we must néeds be carefull euery one of vs must prepare himselfe to receyue blowes when it pleaseth God to smite him But yet herewithall we know that in our falling we cannot but light vpon our feete because we be held vp by the hand of God nor be vtterly oppressed because he relieueth vs. We see then how we cannot be vexed with excéeding great vnquietnes yet we may be sore gréeued in our heauinesse not to withdraw our selues frō God to make none accompt of calling vpon him but to haue our recourse vnto him Ps 25.5 Lead me forth in thy truth teach me Text. for thou art the God of my saluation in thee do I trust all the day Doct. 2 2. Doct. It is the duty of vs all men and women in our afflictions to pray vnto the Lord that whatsoeuer shall come vnto vs by his permission and appointment that he would not suffer vs to fall away from his will or to be drawen away eyther through contumacy or by any other wicked desire but rather by the truth of his holy word hée would stay vs quieted vnder his holy obedience The Reason is Our owne experience doth teach that when as aduersities haue darkned our senses how hard a thing it is in that darknes to discerne what we should follow take in hand And if this demonstration was so necessary for Dauid so holy and worthy a Prophet endewed with so excellent a light of the knowledge of Gods word and holy will what shall become of vs vnlesse the Lord driue away that great and palpable darknes which we haue in our afflictions lest that it darken the sight of his light Vse The Vse Let vs therefore alwaies pray vnto the Lord so often as any temptatiō doth trouble vs that his truth may shine before vs lest we taking euil courses run astray frō his wil. Wherefore let vs shut our eies when things go contrary to our liking let vs only settle our selues vpon this point to say O Lord thou art righteous I wil by the assistance of thy holy spirit be cōtented with thy righteousnes for so the truth of thy holy word teacheth me vntil thou make me to enter into thy sanctuary there perceiue why thou orderest the state of mankind after the sort Truly if I should follow mine owne fancy as it is in these mine afflictions being daseled therwith I should murmure yea repine against thée to sée how things are confoūded here O Lord teach me instruct me with thy truth that thou gouernest the whole world in wisedome righteousnes let me confesse the same although I know no reason thereof Thou art the God of my saluation Text. Doct. 3 The Prophet by these words acknowledging his saluation from the Lorde teacheth vs that the former benefits receiued of the Lord should bee vnto vs motiues of his continuall sauour to bée vndoubtedly perswaded The Reason is It is not onely his vsuall custome but his nature so to doe For for this cause he vndertaketh the deliuerie of his seruantes and relieueth their necessities that he might still continue his grace towards them Let vs therefore know that whome the Lord loueth he loueth to the ende So long as wee know not whether the Lord loueth vs or no wée must néeds feare and with Adam shun his presence as much as is possible So as you sée in what case the wretched creatures are which haue no taste of Gods goodnesse to trust in him that they might comfort themselues Therefore let vs marke well that it behoueth vs to be perswaded of Gods loue towards vs that thereby wee may conceiue such trust as we may present our selues vnto him and bee well assured that our soueraigne good is to answere him that is not to hide our selues from his sight but to be alwaies willing to bee guided by his hand so as wee desire nothing but to be vnder his hand and at his direction Psal 95.67 Let vs consider that wee are the workes of his hands For the thing wherein wee may settle our trust that we be acceptable vnto God is that hee hath created vs and that we be his people and the shéepe of his pasture Then must we not pretend to be loued at Gods hand for any deserts of our owne but because he séeth that we are his workemanshippe and his people and shéepe Thus in Esay and the Psalmes Psa 131 8. Esay 64.8 Lord thou wilt not despise the worke of thy hands thou wilt not forsake that which thou hast begun without finishing it How be it wee must not looke onely to our first creation for the hope that wee shall haue thereby wil be very