Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	keep_v	know_v	liar_n	2,027	5	11.5863	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55301	Armatura Dei, or, A preparation for suffering in an evil day shewing how Christians are to bear sufferings, and what graces are requisite thereunto : suited for all good Christians in this present time / by Edward Polhil ..., Esq.	Polhill, Edward, 1622-1694?	1682 (1682)	Wing P2750; ESTC R3431	68,313	156

land of Promise Such speculative conceits of the Food of Life as we may find in the Schoolmen are of as little force to inflame our hearts with longing after that Heavenly Kingdom as Poetical Descriptions of far Countries are to make us undertake their Conquest We must have Knowledge and Sense Phil. 1.9 Theory and Experience too to make us stand in the evil day we must tast and see that the Lord is gracious that we may be able to suffer for him A spiritual relish of the sweet streams of Grace that flow from him is a choice preparative to make us take and drink of the bitter Cup. Gotteschalcus suffered a close imprisonment for twenty years together meerly for preaching up the Doctrine of Grace and it is without question that he had not a meer Notion but an experimental taste of it in his Suffering Many have the Knowledge of Christ in a way of Speculation but we must have the Savour of his Sweet Ointments upon our heart that we may follow him into Suffering We had need feel the sweetness of his blood in the calms of Conscience that we may Shed our own blood for him Let us not content our selves to have Christ only in our Bibles but endeavor to have a proof of him in our Hearts a proof of his sweet-smelling Sacrifice in our inward peace a proof of his rich Anointings in our supplies of Grace The experience of Christ in us is a strong encouragement to suffer for him He that hath a Christ only in Notion will fall off from him but he that hath a tried Christ will hardly leave him 4. It must be a Knowledge practical and operative in the life that will prepare us for suffering A meer notional Knowledge of Christ is not a right one He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him 1. Joh. 2.4 Such an one contradicts himself his Conversation gives the lie to his Profession the Truth is not in him in a practical way his Knowledge is but a Flash a vanishing Vapor that gives no vital influence to his life he will not do other Commands much less will he take up the Cross which is a Command more grievous to Sense then others are He that would be prepared for Sufferings must labor for such a knowledge as gives a proof of itself in holy Obedience Doing is a good preparative for suffering he that sincerely doth other Commands will take up his Cross too that being a Command as well as others He that indeed is subject to Gods commanding Will will be subject to his disposing one too which orders the coming of the cross to us It is the active Christian that will if occasion serve be passive Our Saviour Christ doth notably set forth what kind of Christians will stand in time of Persecution and what will fall He that heareth his sayings and doth them builds upon the rock and when the storm comes he stands fast because he is founded upon the Rock Math. 7.24.25 that is he is founded upon Christ by Faith and Ocedience and in the Storm he continues upon him by Patience the Rock bears him up as a part of itself But he that heareth Christs sayings and doth them not builds upon the sand and when the storm comes he fals Vers 26 27. Because he is upon the Sand he hath no true Foundation for his Religion he never did dig deep enough to come to Self-denial and therefore in the Storm his fall is very great he and his Religion utterly perish as when a house is broke up from the very Foundation or a Tree is blown up by the Roots Therefore if we would stand firm and unmovable in a Storm let us labor to have Such a lively and operative Knowledge of Christ as may diffuse itself into an universal Obedience to his precepts He that enures himself to do the Will of God will be ready when the Cross comes to take it up and say This is the Will of God too and must be done To conclude that we may have this excellent Knowledge we must not only read the holy Scriptures but with Zuinglius look up to Heaven for that holy Spirit that is able to lead us into all Truth and to seal it upon our hearts for ever CHAP. VII The fourth direction for Suffering is pretious Faith This hath a triple respect arespect to God his providence Power and Grace Arespect to Christ as a propitiation a Pattern an Head and Helper Arespect to the Promises the Promises of Gods Presence the Promises of Confirmation the Promises of a good Issue THe fourth Direction is this if we would be in a fit posture for Suffering we must labour after a pretious Faith A Dogmatical Faith will not do it the Devil himself who is the Chief Agent in Persecution hath such a Faith neither will a temporary Faith do it this is but a meer blossom that fals off in a storm of Persecution it must be a pretious Faith a Furnace Faith that will endure the fiery Trial This is the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shield like a door broad enough to cover the Soul and all its Graces Eph. 6.16 this is to be taken above all other pieces of Spiritual Armor it is eminent among the Graces as the Sun is among the Planets It is the great conquering Grace all other Graces act in conjunction with it In the eleventh Chapter to the Hebrews stiled by some the little Book of Martyrs the Saints are brought in doing and suffering great things but all is ascribed to Faith as the Captain-grace of all the rest the first mover to other Graces It works by Love and not only so but by Meekness Obedience Patience running like blood and Spirits in every part of the New-creature Faith hath a triple respect to God to Christ to the Promises and in each of these it is of singular use in order to sufferings 1. Faith hath a respect to God it makes its approaches to him nay it fixes the the Soul in him as in its Center Hence it is that the righteous fears no evil tidings because his Heart is fixed trusting in the Lord Psal 112.7 The word rowles about but he by faith stands fast in the unmoveable God Hence it is that the Church becomes unmoveable too God is in the midst of her she shall not be moved Psal 46.5 There are three things in God which Faith fixes upon in order to pious Suffering 1. Faith fixes upon his Providence The Stoick could say That there was no living in a World empty of God and Providence Much more may the Christian that is tossed up and down in a persecuting World say so But his Faith tels him that persecution comes not by Chance Man rages but God reigns The World is as a tempestuous Sea but God sits at the Sterne and governs all He limits the fury of Persecutors the wrath of man shall praise him

Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame Let us consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest we be weary and faint in our minds Hebr. 12.2 3. The noble Alzearius being asked Arr. Tact. 161. how he could so patiently bear injuries answered thus Converto me ad injurias Christi I turn me to the injuries done to my Saviour We must look to Christ's Cross that we may bear our own it being now no longer meer suffering but sanctified by the sufferings of our Saviour 3. Faith looks to Christ as an Head and Helper He is not a meer Pattern but an Head and Helper too Were there no other supporting Grace for the Saints but that little in their own bosome they might expect to fail in the Trial but there is an inexhaustible Fountain of Grace in their Head in Heaven and that will bear them up in all their Sufferings This made St. Paul glory in Persecutions because the Power of Christ would rest upon him and when he was weak in himself he was strong in that 2. Cor. 12.9 10. St. Cyprian speaking of Christ in the Martyrs saith Qui pro nobis mortem semel vicit Epist 9. ad Mort. semper vincit in nobis he that once overcame death for us alwais overcomes it in us This the Martyr Blandina though weak in body found by experience being bore up in the midst of Torments by the Power of Christ Euseb L. 5. cap. 1. and finding a fresh refreshment as often as she said Christiana sum I am a Christian The same was seen in the Martyr Sanctus who bore various Torments above all humane Strength because he was bedewed and confirmed out of the Celestial Fountain of living water flowing down from Christ Whatever thou doest O Christian be sure to apply thy self by Faith unto the neverfailing Fountain of Grace in him that thou mayst have such Supplies of Grace as may bear thee up in an evil day 3. Faith hath a respect to the Promises These are the Breasts of Consolation the Channels in which the Grace in Gods heart flows down to the Sons of men Here the Christian may provide himself with Cordials against the time of suffering I shall here only mention three kinds of Promises for Faith to live upon in a day of Trial. 1. Faith must live upon the Promises of Gods gratious Presence God tels his People that he will be with them in the fire and in the water Esay 43.2 that is in all danger and calamities whatsoever neither shall this Presence be for a little time only but constant and perpetual He will never leave them nor forsake them Hebr. 13.5 This is a choice comfort to good men that in Tribulations they are not left alone but God is with them St. Paul had experience of this all men forsook him but God stood with him and strengthned him 2. Tim. 4.16 17. The Presence of God was to him more then a World and able to support him against all his Adversaries St. Cyprian speaking of the Martyrs in his time Epist 9. saith That God was not a meer spectator in their sufferings but ipse luctatur in nobis ipse concongreditur ipse in certamine coronat pariter coronatur he strives in us he encounters our adversaries he crowns us in the Battel and is himself crowned therein Let us therefore by Faith rest upon the promise of Gods Presence and assure our hearts that he will be with us in our Suffering All the Promises of God are Yea and Amen in Christ and his being Immanuel God with us in the humane Nature is a Pledge to the Saints that God will be with them in their Sufferings for him 2. Faith must live up on the promises of Confirmation The Apostle tels the Corinthians That God shall confirm them unto the end and adds this as a reason God is faithful by whom ye are called into the fellowship of his son Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Cor. 1.89 God doth as it were pawn his faithfulness upon it that they being once brought into union with Christ shall never fall off but be confirmed unto the end The gates of hell shall never prevail against them they shall be kept through faith unto salvation nay and their Faith shall be kept too Christ did not only pray for Peter that his Faith fail not but he prays so for all the faithful Oh how comfortable are such promises to the Saints Let us by faith lay up these rich Cordials in our hearts to keep up from fainting in Persecution 3. Faith must live upon the Promises of a good Issue All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to his people Psal 23.10 All things shall work together for their good Rom. 8.28 Persecutions and all God alters the property of his Peoples Afflictions and by an Almighty Alchimy turns Dross into Gold he makes persecution turn to the refining of the Saints Graces and to the glorifying of his own great name O! what great good things doth he bring out of evil How much of his Love and faithfulness may be seen in the Cross Let us therefore fix our hearts upon such promises that passing through the fiery Trial we may see the good end the Lord makes of it CHAP. VIII The fift Direction for Suffering is Love to God and Christ Love to God such as value him desire him delight in him and will and endeavour to serve and honour him Love to Christ such as value him desire him delight in him and will and endeavour to serve and honour him THe fist Direction is this if we would be in a fit posture for suffering we must get a sincere Love to God and Christ St. De Civit. Lib. 14. cap. 28. Austin saith That two Loves made two Cities the Love of self made the Earthly City the Love of God makes the Heavenly one the persecutor dwels in the one and the Martyr in the other There is an assimilating efficacy in Love whereby it casts the mind into the Mould of the thing beloved Siterram amas terra es si Deum quidni dicerem Deus es Aug. If thou love Earth thou art Earth if thou Love God thou art partaker of the Divine Nature and dost resemble God himself The greatest impediment to pious suffering is the Love of the World and self and the greatest preparative to it is the Love of God and Christ I shall first speak of love to God as a preparative thereunto and then of Love to Christ as such 1. Love to God is a preparative to suffering If we love him above all things no outward Object will draw us from him if we love him with all the heart no inward Lust will make us fall from him Love to him stands in four things each of which will dispose us to suffer for him 1. Love to him stands in an high