Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	john_n	zeal_n	zealous_a	28	3	10.0427	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41135	A treatise of the affections, or, The souls pulse whereby a Christian may know whether he be living or dying : together with a lively description of their nature, signs, and symptomes : as also directing men to the right use and ordering of them / by that Reverend and faithfull minister of Gods word, M. William Fenner ... finished by himself.	Fenner, William, 1600-1640.	1650 (1650)	Wing F708; ESTC R9229	161,998	208

and of Heaven the reason is plain I need not expresse it I know many a childe of God is not assured hereof but there is never a childe of God under heaven but he is restlesse till he be Alas he is never zealous for God if he be quiet without assurance of Gods love in Christ Jesus Can I zealously love him whose love to me I am not assured of for all that I know he will cut my throat he will turn the sorest enemy I have I cannot zealously love him No more canst thou zealously love God as long as thou art quiet without the assurance of his love For all that thou knowest God does not love thee God he may damn thee and cast thee to hell for ever and turn the sorest enemy in the world to thy soul for all that thou knowest and therefore thou canst not zealously love him if then thou be a zealous lover of God either thou art assured of his love or thou canst never be quiet without it give diligence sayes the Apostle to make your calling and election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall 2 Pet. 1. 10. ye shall never fall if ye make it sure but if ye can be quiet without the assurance of election and Gods love ye may fall and for all that I know break your necks for ever and perish for evermore Go to then examine your selves what does your conscience tell you ye are not sure of Gods favour nor your election to life ye hope well ye say but ye are not assured of it neither does it break your sleep a jot nor hinder your sports and your pleasures and your mirth it is certain ye were never zealous for God What a wofull thing is this hast thou but one soul and art thou no more careful of it art thou to live either for ever in heaven or hell when thou diest in all torture and torment world without end and art thou no more diligent to make sure before hand perhaps thou mayst be saved yea but perhaps thou mayst be damned And hast thou no more love to thy soul then to be quiet with uncertainties O how many be there among us that have no assurance from God what he means to doe with them whether to save them or to destroy and to damn them how many go blundring on in an uncertain opinion and conjecturall hope of Gods favour and have no certainty at all of the same how many that are haunted with fears and terrours and doubts this way and never labour to be sure how many that have had pretty assurances a good while ago and now they have lost them and yet they sit idlely and go dreaming on in the duties of religion as if they could shift well enough though they never recover again this is no zeal if thou beest zealous thou canst never endure to be under uncertainties never to be quiet till thou hast gotten the assurance of Gods love The fourth sign of zeal towards God is gladnesse to further and to be furthered in the waies of God If thou beest zealous thou art glad to be reproved and told of thy sinnes glad that the Minister should meet with thy corruptions and rip them up in the Pulpit as a Patient is glad that the Physitian should hit right on his disease When Peter had met with those three thousand in the Acts and told them plainly they were murderers of Christ as ye may reade in the Chapter the Text sayes they gladly received the Word Act. 2. 41. Peter laid a greater sin to their charge then we have unto yours We have told you that some of you are adulterers and some of you drunkards c. which is bad enough and ye are offended hereat but Peter told them they were murderers of Christ and they gladly received the Word they were not angry with Peter but with themselves and were glad to be told of it a sign they were zealous A zealous man is glad to further and to be furthered in all goodnesse he is glad to meet with the godly that so he may be quickned by conference glad to hear news of a Sermon that so he may go to it and be edifyed glad of every opportunity both of doing and receiving good glad to go to a Sacrament which is Christs feast so were the good Israelites glad at the Sacrament of the Passeover they kept that feast with great gladnesse 2 Chr. 30. 21. Glad that there was one glad that they were at it they were very glad sayes the Text If thou beest zealous thou wilt be glad of a Communion and glad to be at it When thou hast been at a Sermon thou wilt be glad that ever thou wert at it O the Word does thee such good that thou goest home with all gladnesse of heart yea though the Word did never so much contradict thy corruptions As the good people in Nehemiah when they had been reproved and rebuked in the Congregation and told of their sins and made to cry out unto God they went home and ate their meat with all joy glad that they understood the words that were told them Neh. 8. 12. Thus thou wouldest to if thou wert zealous towards God but if thou goest about the duties of Gods worship as sorry peeces of businesse if thou dost not delight in prayer and in hearing the Word if thou canst sit wearisomely and when will the Minister have done a man may see it in thy countenance thou art not joyfull to hear this is a sign thou hast not one scruple of zeal towards God The poor impotent man in the Acts when Paul was a preaching he lookt so merrily and so greedily upon him as if he would fain have it faster then Paul could deliver he was a faithfull hearer The same heard Paul speak and Paul stedfastly beheld him and perceived he had faith to be healed Act. 149. He perceived he had faith how did he perceive it he perceived it by his countenance he could give a shrewd guesse by his looks while Paul was preaching he looked so cheerfully and so greedily upon him as if he drunk in every point that he said The man without doubt was zealous to hear The fifth sign of zeal towards God is rejoycing to see the forwardnesse of others I rejoyced greatly sayes Iohn to the elect Lady I rejoyced greatly that I found of thy children walking in the truth 2 Io. 4. Nay if you be zealous though it may seem a disparagement to thee that others should be as gracious and famous as thy self yet thou wilt joy in it it seemed to be a disparagement to Moses that Eldad and Medad of low rank in the Church that such as they should prophesie in the Camp Before Moses was counted the only Prophet of the Lord but now Eldad and Medad prophesie as well as he this I say might have seemed a disparagement to him yet he was so farre from repining thereat as

that he hath unto Christ It 's true no wicked man in the earth hath his affections thus farre wrought on but it is marvellous to think how far a mans affections may be wrought on for Christ and yet be a carnal man It 's proved already he cannot set his affections on Christ but he may raise up his affections a good way towards Christ and now I will prove it First the ignicles and embers of right reason that God hath made natural to his heart may regulate his affections to be chast and sober and kinde and liberal and just and morally humble and patient and merciful c. and to observe the things contained in the Law Natural reason directs men to love their parents and their children and one another thus the very Heathen themselves guided their affections with Religion as it were the vertues of morality saies Aristotle they doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They finde out a Medium or a golden mean in the affections and hold them unto it And therefore S. Paul knoweth thus much and how that some of the Heathen were so wicked that they would put out the light of their own reason and be drunk and lustful and proud and mercilesse and disobedient to parents he condemns them especially for this that they were without understanding and without natural affection Rom. 1 31. that is because they put out that natural reason and that natural affection that were in them Because their affections might have been naturally set upon those things Their very natural reason might have ruled their affections and set them upon vertues of morality So that thus farre thou maist go and yet be a carnalist thine affections may run to be civil and morally honest and the like natural reason may raise up thine affections from drunkennesse and lust and from natural injustice and from swearing and lying and filthinesse of speaking and the like I say natural reason may raise up thine affections from these Indeed it may be thine affections are violent and greedy and sensual to tempt thee to some of these sinnes but natural reason may take them off from such sinnes as these Are thine affections so vile as to follow thy blowzing and thy company-keeping we need not quote Scripture to convince thee thy material stomack cries out it is a sinne for it grumbles at it Thine eyes and thy legges and thy heels cry out it s a sinne for they doe betray it Look upon thy purse it cries against thee for it thou hast emptied Look upon thy Children and thy Wife they cry against it for them thou hast beggard Look upon thy fields and thy land and thy inheritance they cry against it for them thou hast morgaged and impaired Look upon the stinking dunghil it bids thee hold thy nostrils at the stinkingnesse of this sinne for there is thy spewing and thy vomiting and so of the rest of these sinnes natural reason may easily raise up thine affections from these Which if thou hast done already and art civil and moral thou art yet gone no further then a Naturian may go Thou maist do that and yet be a Carnalist Secondly Because thou hast more means then the means of bare nature thy knowledge out of the Word may raise up thy affections exceedingly knowledge may awe the heart and move it with the affection of fears that it go not against its own knowledge Herod feared Iohn knowing that he was a just man Mar. 6. 20. Herod his affection was stirred with fear at the hearing of Iohn why he knew he was a good man and he knew it was just as he preached he knew it was God Word And therefore he feared not to obey him he was afraid to go against him Nay his affections were more raised then so he heard John gladly and did many things He was affected with joy at his Sermons and his affections were wrought on to break out into act and to doe many things I do not reade he struck at any thing but only his darling corruption His affections were so wrought on that it should seem he reformed many sins in his Court and many of his Courtiers he began to set up some worship of God in his Palace All this was by reason of knowledge he knew Iohn was a good Preacher he knew he preached the truth and the truth overpowred his affections Now he had no such elbow-room for to sinne as he had in his ignorance Now he fears to do many sinnes that before he feared not why because his knowledge was enlightned This is no argument that thou art a childe of God because thou reformest many things Alas thy knowledge is convinced thou must so the very devil himself was overpowred by his knowledge when the devil knew Christ was Christ ●e could not but confesse We know thee who thou art the holy one of God Mar. 1. 24. Happily thou fearest to go flatly against the Sermons thou hearest thou fearest to live so bad as thou didst happily thou rejoycest to hear the Bell ring to a Sermon and art glad to hear the preaching of a Minister happily thine affections are so wrought on that thou art moved to do many things not to suffer such potting and cupping in thy house as thou usedst not to endure such disorders in thy family as thou wert wont alas alas this is good yet and O that others were proficients thus farre this is further then many doe go but this thou mayst doe and yet be a Carnalist Thou knowest this is the truth of God and this stirres thine affections a little Thirdly God may be he hath quickned thy knowledge a little and quickned thy conscience and made it tell thee the horrour of thy sins and this may raise up thine affections many steps higher not only to mourn for thy sinnes and be full of the affections of sorrow but also to goe mournfully and sadly up and down to pull down thy proud looks to take on lamentably because of thy former iniquities As Ahab Thus the word made Ahab rend the very clothes off his back and fling off his royal robes and put on sackcloth in their room it made him have no minde to his meat but to fast yea to go softly too saies the Text 1 King 21. 27. When Ahab heard these words he tore off his clothes he abstained from his meat and went softly Ambulabat demisso capite that is he did not goe so proudly up and down with such a carere in the streets as before No he hung down his looks he went sadly and softly up and down as he went Thus farre too thou maist go in raising thine affections and yet be a Carnalist Thou maist be smitten in thy soul for thy sins as to go softly and sadly and mournfully up and down to have little lust to eat thy meat for thinking of thy sinnes to go poorly and meanly and have little minde to go bravely I say thine

pray unto God evermore again I say pray I have not time to pray so often I do pray in the morning and evening but my businesses are so many c. This may be thou objectest Not time enough sayst thou Finde out some odde times besides morning and evening steal into some corner or other belabour thy heart before God O sayst thou I finde it a hard thing to stir up mine affections I am a very Stoick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have no affection I cannot compel mine affections to God Canst thou not but thou canst compel thy heart for to pray thou canst tug and pull at thy heart in thy praiers and this will fetch up thine affections Praier is not only a mouth to beg Physick but also it is Physick it self whereby Christ cures the affections of the heart The poor beggar the more he is driven to beg the more affectionate he is in describing his miseries you shall see some beggars to set forth their misery and cry so lamentably as it would burst a mans heart with pity and compassion ones bowels would even yearn but to hear them I doe not mean your lazie canting beggars but distressed Lazars indeed So beloved pray if ever thou be used to it it will scrue up thy heart and raise up thine affections exceedingly I doe not mean that lazie-hearted and canting kinde of praying of most wretches that hath no more affection in it then there is savour in the white of an Egge But set thy self to prayer indeed and by it Christ will quicken thine affections Alas thy heart is divided and scattered up and down among the things of the world and therefore strive with God that he would gather up all the peeces into one thou must have all thine affections and all the peeces of thy heart gathered up into one if thou wouldst set them upon God I will give them one heart that they may fear me for ever saies God Ier. 32. 39 your heart and the affections of your heart are divided and scattered up and down into a thousand peeces one upon one thing another upon another and God hath promised that he will gather up your hearts into one and give you this same one heart that ye may fear him and set all your affections upon him will ye misse such a gracious promise as this for want of asking it and begging it and praying for it this is the reason why men have such earthly affections as they have because they are not frequent in praier to God to be helped Prayer is an excellent help to winde up your affections to God This is the first Often prayer to God The second is this Light up a candle in thy heart that it may see what to set thine affections on in God Get knowledge of God Ignoti nulla cupido unknown unaffected thine affections are unruly and thou canst not rule them to Godward yea but thou canst get knowledge Knowledge will help thee exceedingly The affections we see plainly that come nearest to reason are soonest of all ruled And the affections that are remotest from reason are more hard to be ruled A man commonly will sooner rule his affections aright then a woman or a childe because a man hath more reason The Philosophers shew this by the example of a Horse or a Bul. A Horse is sooner tamed then a Fish because a Horse is more capable of knowledge and of reason as natural reason and knowledge can naturally rule the affections so spiritual reason and knowledge can spiritually rule the affections And therefore if thou wouldest rule thine affections aright to set them on God labour to know God every one that loveth God knoweth God 1 Joh. 47. He must must needs know God that loveth God for how can he set his affections of love upon God if he doe not know God knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5. 11. S. Paul perswades the affections of the people why because he knew the terrour of the Lord and he was able to make them to know it too and therefore hereby he endeavoured to perswade their affections to fear God and to serve him They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee for thou never forsakest them that seek thee Psal 9. 10. David speaks peremptorily they that know thy Name they will place their hope and their trust and their confidence and all their affections on thee They will so certainly if they know thee if once they know what a good God thou art how true of thy promise how gracious to thy children how sure a friend thou art never forsaking them that seek thee He concludes it positively they that know God will set their affections on God Can a coverous man know a rich purchase and not have an affection to it can a beggar know his alms is a hundred pounds and have no affection to take it as long as the woman of Samaria did not know Christ she stood pratling and wrangling and jeering at Christ she had no affection neither to him nor the water of life that he could give her she had more minde of her well and her water-pot though she were in Christs company yet because she did not know she never askt him a drop of grace nor would she give so much as a draught of her water to Christ But what answer did he make to her If thouknewest saies he who it is that saith to thee give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Joh. 4. 10. If thou hadst known who I am thine affections would have been eagerer then they be Beloved ye hear the word and have no affection to tremble at it Ye hear Gods Commandments and have no affection to do them ye live in your sins many of you poor damned souls to this day and ye have no affection to be humbled Alas alas ye are blinde and ye know not But if ye had known what a damnable case ye are in what a word it is ye reject whose Commandments they are which ye break whose bloud it is ye contemn if ye had known God and the truth that is of God ye would have been otherwise affected then ye are Occultae musices nullus respectus saies Suetonius Be the musick never so pleasing yet if it be not known none is affected therewith You 'l say ye do know God what doe and have no more affections to obey the Commandments of God ye lie in fiat terms saies S. Iohn He that saith I know him and keeps not his Commandments is a lyar and there is no truth in him 1 Joh. 2. 4. I confesse thou mayst know many things about God and never have thine affections set upon God to obey him but this knowledge is in a reprobate there 's no truth in this knowledge The truth is not in him saies the Text. Knowledge may be in him but the truth