Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A19694
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A treatise of faith wherein is declared how a man may liue by faith and finde releefe in all his necessities : applied especially vnto the use of the weakest Christians / by Ezekel Culvervvell.
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Culverwell, Ezekiel, 1553 or 4-1631.
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1623
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STC 6113.5; ESTC S4074
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171,849
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534
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when the Lord gaue his Law to his people of Israell that he bound his people to obedience by these two bonds of his great Maiestie and his speciall fauour saying Exod. 3. 6. and 6. 7. and 20. 2. I am the Lord thy God It would be tedious and needlesse to heape more of this sort for this was promised to the faithful by the Prophets and Apostles in all ages that God would be their God and they should be his people Whereby was meant that they should certainly receaue from him whatsoeuer might bee good for them and should yeeld to him all that obedience which he required In which one promise if wee could stedfastly beleeue and rest vpon we should finde more true comfort then in all the world beside And therefore I desire all that want comfort to thinke much vpon this Of this kinde likewise be all those gracious promises that God is our portion that is all wee haue to maintaine vs in this world and wee his portion that is the chiefest thing hee makes reckoning of Psal 16. 5. 19. 5. 1. 7. 142. 5. his treasure his peculiar people the lot of his inheritance Deut. 32. 9. his chosen his delight and many the like are plentifull in the Scriptures Psal 33. 26. all shewing how deare vnto God his people are Psal 135. 4. that they may assure themselues they shall not want Exod. 19. 5. as the Prophet Dauid concluded vpon that meditation that the Lord was his sheepheard Psal 23. 1. and 146. 9. To this end is God said to bee Father to the fatherlesse a helper to the widow to succour them to supplie theÌ„ with all needfull blessings spirituall and bodily To this purpose very comfortable is that Psal 84 11. For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield the Lord will giue grace and glory and no good thing will hee with-hold from them that walke vprightly Meaning that the Sunne is not more beneficiall to the earth then God to his Oh that we had hearts to consider and beleeue these Then might we say and sing for ioy of heart with Dauid Psal 27. 1. The Lord is my light and my saluation whom shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I bee afraid And to like effect Psal 28. 7. 8. Seeing the Lord hath thought it needfull so oft to testifie his goodnesse vnto vs there is no reason wee should thinke much to remember the same for our good The Prophet Dauid was neuer wearie of thinking hereof which was as I conceaue that which made him so large-hearted towards God and so excelling others in all holy conuersation as himselfe professeth vnto God saying Psal 26. 3 Examine me O Lord and proue me trie my reines and my heart for thy louing kindenesse is before mine eies therefore I haue walked in thy truth And againe How excellent is thy louing kindenesse O God! Psal 36. 7. therefore the children of men put their trust vnder the shadow of thy winges And the like Psal 31. 19. and else-where oft hee professeth Psal 62. 2. 6 7. 71. 5. God is his hope his helpe his health his rocke his refuge Ier. 17. 7. and many the like Iâ—el 3. 16. All which should make vs boldly to rest on God for all things necessarie And yet behold more for exceeding oft doth the Lord promise that he will dwell among them Exod. 29. 46. and not forsake them but bee with them both to prouide for them Psal 37. 4. 145. 19. and protect them that he will blesse them Pro. 10. 24. that all shall goe well with them God will giue them their hearts desire that hee will bee their reward All which with sundrie the like effects of Gods fauour and prouident care ouer his to minister vnto them abundant releefe in all their needs are throughout the Scriptures so oft repeated that in what condition soeuer wee bee wee might haue store of helpe at hand to strengthen our faith that God will neuer faile vs but in that season and measure which he seeth fittest wee shall assuredly finde all needfull helpe for soule and body Vse for this life and that to come I doe therefore commend vnto all those who haue so profited by the former promises pertaining to the assurance of saluation that they haue some comfort therein this care to obserue well these large legacies which the Lord both in the olde and new Testament hath bequeathed to all his children as so many priuiledges belonging to them whereof no other person in the world though neuer so high in mans account shall euer bee partaker That they be not dismaid with any discouragements they shall meet with but rather reioyce and glory in their happie condition and so bee carefull to walke worthy of the same that they may thereby honour God their Father and that high dignity whereto hee hath aduanced them yea also mooue many to seeke to be partakers with them of so blessed a condition I could heere willingly take vp a bitter complaint against many of good hope that spend most of their daies either securely or vncomfortably Neh. 8. 10. not finding this ioy of the Lord to be their strength and not walking in the light of Gods fauour so cheerefully as they might if they would better weigh these gracious promises made vnto them and so lay hold vpon them as their owne whereby they might be refreshed in their greatest discouragements But this being besides my intentioÌ„ I wil thus end this point The second generall Head Now wee come to the second generall matter wherein we are to liue by faith namely how we may be able to mortifie our corrupt nature and ouercome our speciall sinnes which most preuaile ouer vs. That this cannot be without faith hath beene sufficiently prooued in the former part of this Treatise and how this power is obtained by faith from Christ Heere onely wee are to consider what promises God hath made vnto vs in the Scriptures to strengthen our faith in this that whereas we are full of doubting how we who are so full of sinne yea naturally sold vnder sinne and oft held captiue vnder some strong corruptions should possibly ouercome these yet wee may heare such comfortable promises from God as may assure vs no sinne shall haue dominion ouer vs but we shall daily master it and in the end obtaine a full victory ouer it For which purpose I cannot begin with any Scripture more effectuall then this selfe same Rom. 6. 1. c. where the Apostle doth not onely shew the absolute necessitie of forsaking sinne by all those who bee members of Christ but thereupon he exhorts them all saying Let not sinne reigne in your mortall body Verse 12. that yee should obey it in the lust thereof and shewes the way how this may be attained by not yeelding vnto sinne their mindes and hearts which be principall members