Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	know_v	true_a	word_n	7,068	5	4.2434	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B05977	The map of the little world, illuminated with religion being a practical treatise, directing man to a religious scope, and right measure, in all the periods of his life; with devotion suitable. To which is added an appendix, containing a gospel ministers legacie, in some sermons, upon 2 Pet. 1. 12, &c. / By Patrick Strachan minister of the gospel at St. Vigeans.	Strachan, Patrick, fl. 1693.	1693 (1693)	Wing S5775A; ESTC R184656	117,746	314

who brings these things to Ou● Remembrance The labour of faithful Ministers the short and clear digest of our Holy Faith and Gospel designe as to good works frequent Prayer for a Blessing upon our pains and to digest these things well in our mind so that they may take impression never to be obliterated 2ly Res Retenta the thing Remembred which is the things of GOD of CHRIST and the Truths of the Gospel the concerns of the Soul and what is conducive to advance them The first and second relates to the principles of our Religion The third and fourth concerneth people as to their practice of these things First then let it be your care to know GOD and the Gospel which if thou hast had any ear to hear and heart to understand thou may be a great proficient But alas that may be said to many for which the Apostle reproveth the Hebrews Heb. 5. 12. And secondly If people would walk according to the Light they have they might attain to the end of their Faith which is the Salvation of their Souls And this Practice would give them the more facility to do the thing they know 3ly The help of the Remembrances which consists in his Prayers and patience that he weary not in his work that he in● struct and warn every man that he preach sound Doctrine and observe the form of sound words that he press and propagate the Essence of Religion and do not please himself much with circumstances and time debates and that which the most of our people are not concerned in And never a white the better tho they be but the necessary things are our great instructions from our Great Master and to press these Qui populariter docet optime docet so popularly as Luther said most profitably And we must be intent upon our work and press people to cooperate with GOD and us and be busie themselves attend the ordinances and using the means let Ministers also Rule well their own Life that it may correspond with their Doctrine and follow the steps of Holy Men whose ashes seem yet to exhale from their Tombs a sweet Savour which makes their memory for ever Blessed And if we put the Brethren in mind of these things we shall be good Ministers 4ly Peoples improvement by right Remembring Memoria excolendo augetur Culture and Industrie will make a barren ground Fertile Improve well the many Remembrances thou gets from the Word and that Monument Christ built for Himself by the Sacrament remember the novissima the last things the prima media ultima to wit thy Conversion Progress and Perfection therein Consider what thou hast been what thou art and what thou shall be Be not a forgetful hearer consider the Beacon set up in the Scripture a● gainst sin Remember Lots Wife Jam 1. 22. And the Encouragement of Vertue in the practice of Holy Men and Women keep a Diary as to thy time have thy Memorandum and labour still by remembering to practice and do Sermon VI. Concerning the Truth and Excellency of our Holy Religion and the infallible Proofs thereof with the Duty of such as own it For we have no● followed cunningly devised fables when we made known upto you the Power and Coming of our LORD JESUS CHRIST c. Verse 16. THIS is the Base and Found of all Religion Which as it Convinces Men to Embrace it so doth it invite them to the Practice of it And as this Apostle was very Competent to give his Sentiments of the Truth and Power of this Holy Religion being called by Power enlightned by Knowledge and having seen a Demonstration of it in the Oracles and Miracles of his Master So doth he direct Gospel Ministers to Inculcate upon their People the Truth and Power of the Christian Religion that every faithful Pastor may have the Occasion to attract People to the Obedience o● the Faith and in their measure to say unto them We preach not unto you vain and frivolous things but the Magnalia Veritatis the great Things of Truth And it cannot but be great Satisfaction to a Gospel Minister that he can refresh his mind as well as satisfie the People that he hath Preached nothing to them but the Truth of GOD. For when the account of the Stewartship is called for it will afford but small Peace to the Pastor to reflect that he hath been taken up with ventilations of Controversie Circumstances and External Polity of the Church that he hath been biguit about his beloved Sect that he hath Pharisaically insisted upon Gerimonies and much neglected the Life and Power of the Truth of GOD. Now more particularly to take up the Scope and Parts of this Text I shall reduce it to these Points following 1. That the Doctrine of the Gospel is not a eunningly devised Fable but the Infallible Truth of God 2. That though Christ and the Gospel came to the Eye of the World in Weakness yet to a Right Discerner His coming was with Great Power and Majesty 3. As the coming of Christ is very evident by many infallible Proofs so is it banded down to us and confirmed by Eye-witnesses First That the Doctrine of the Gospel is not a cunningly devised Doct. 1 Fable but the infallible Truth of GOD. It is a faithfull saying and worthy of all Acceptance 2 Tin 2. 1● Nor a cunning fable and a subtile contrivance to impose upon and deceive the World No ●ut let GOD be True and all men liars First Then It is no cunningly devised fable as the Apostle sayes here but it is the Contrivance of the Wise Council of GOD transacted in Heaven and given to Men as their Guide and Comfort it is the Emanation of the Love and Good Will of GOD to Man through a Mediator Have I not written unto thee Things excellent that thou mayest know the Words of Truth Sayes GOD by Solomon It is as true as CHRIST Himself and He is the Way the Truth and the Life If He Himself was really upon Earth which is evident as a Demonstration and the most verified Matter of Fact that ever was in the World not done in a Corner or Clancularly but in the View of the sun and the sight of friends and foes For He did moe Miracles for the Confirmation of His Doctrine and the discovering of His Person than ever was d●ne before Him miracles of Mercy so great and stupendious that had not the Ancient People been prejudged at his Doctrine and the Humility of His Person and the fear of the Rulers All Jury had gone after him And further the influence of his Doctrine had upon the Hearts of Men and the great Demonstration of his being the Messiah and the Son of GOD by His Resurrection from the Dead And the wonderful effects that the Preaching of the Cross of Christ had upon Jew and Gentile All these write the Verity of our Religion with a Beam of the Sun that the Gospel c●nnot be

their phansie who deny CHRIST's Offices Ministers Ordinances and Institutions will be so bold as to contradict it And therefore it concerns Parents Religiously to go about the Baptism of their Children and remember the great obligation they stand under for their pious Education And of Children baptized to reflect upon it when they come to any Knowledge and to improve it well by the Instruction of their Parents and Tutors whose serious Instructions grave Example and earnest Prayer for Young Ones may help to instill and drop in such Counsels into their easie and blank minds as may leave some Relish as a Vessel may still keep something of the tast and smell of the first liquor according to that Ancient observe quo semel est imbuta c. and this stage of our life may be reckoned to the fourth year of our Age. STAGE Second The Contents Of the particular care of Parents and Governours as to Children from four years old to twelve of studying their nature and genious and the in●●●ling and droping in some clear and common principles of Religion with the consideration of Regeneration and when the Children come to be about twelve years of age of their solemn Confirmation § 1. As the Children grows so should the care of their Parents increase towards them its dangerous to suffer the evil of their Nature to take rooting for then it will turn tenacious and obstinate it 's better to take the little Foxes that hurt their tender Gardens Cant. 2. 6. and by Religious conduct use the best means to Eradicate the corruption of their Nature and to correct that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and disorder that is naturally in them by frequent and gradual dropping of good counsel into their hearts especially by fixing in them the common notion of a GOD and fearing of Him of honouring their Parents And withal to acquaint them with their Baptismal Dedication and in as much as is possible to open up unto them the m●sterie of their redemption through Jesus Christ and that not only they know to Repeat the Law the Creed and Lords Prayer But also to make them according to their capacitie to understand these Thus entereth Knowledge into their Hearts as a little Drop by frequent falling makes a cavity and hollowness in the stone § 2. Although the Spirit of GOD the Author of Regeneration like the wind bloweth when where and how he pleases Joh. 3. v. 8. And calleth some sooner some later yet is it not improper to set it down here for that same LORD that Blessed Babs can Sow the Seed of Grace in their Hearts And of this Regeneration I shall only remember Man of the Necessity Nature and Evidence thereof First as to the necessity Our Saviour is very positive Job 3. v. 2. and 3. Except a man be Born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of GOD and no outward exercise of Religion can avail us without the New Creature the Old-man must be Crucified and the New-man formed and Nurished ere we can be fit for the Kingdom of GOD. And 2ly We cannot better take up the Nature of it than by considering the Author and the manner of his Operation in producing this Work It is only the Spirit of GOD that doth it so is every one that is born of the Spirit John 3. 8. Of His own Will begatt He us that we should be a kind of first Fruits of His Creatures Jam 1. 18. This New Creature then is clearly the Product of the Spirit of GOD Who doth this work mediatly by the use of means especially by the Word o● Truth and other holy Engines that he is pleased to make use of Yet is not this Work produced of any means but by the concurse of the principal Agent the Word illuminats and perswads but there 's more then Moral Swasion in this Work for GOD's promise in the Covenant is to put his Laws in our inward parts Jer 3. 33. They receive by their Conversion a heavenly seed which abideth in them that will not suffer them to sin as the wicked do John 3. 9. Whosoever is born of GOD doth not commit sin for His seed remains in him and he cannot sin because he is born of GOD. Yet as to the production of this new Creature it may be so secret for a time like the Infant in the Womb so clouded and over-powr'd by Temptation and Corruption that it doth little appear and it takes a long time ere it become perfect in degrees and visibly compleat as to parts althô the Child tho little and weak is potentially a perfect man Parents then and Governours should with St. Paul travel in birth till Christ be formed in their Children 3ly As to its Evidence the Apostle manifests it fully 2 cor 5. 17 Behold all things are become New The man is wholly renewed in Quality tho not in Substance so that he may very well say Ego non sum ego He hath a more generous spirit with Caleb a better heart with David a more shinin● face with Moses and the lips of the Righteous feed many And tho no man ca● make this Change yet is he exhorted to make him a new heart Ezek. 18 31. Th●● is to use the means and well to consider that the spirit of GOD begets this ne● Creature by the word of Truth Jam 1 18 That such may be a kind of first fruits of H●● Creatures and for himself to show forth● His praise Who hath called them from darkness to Light § 3. It is very promotive of Grace also when Children comes to this state of Life that they be Confirmed after they can give any account of their Creed and of their Prayers according to the Blessed Pattern The LORDS Prayer For we read frequently in the Acts of Confirming the Disciples after they were Prose●●ted to the Christian Religion whereby the new Plantation was fixed and by a sort of personal Covenanting with GOD they were Engaged to His Service by their Voluntar Consent This is the practice of the Universal Church Which if simply done and not elevated unto a Sacrament is laudable and promotive of the Ends of Religion And tho it be quarrelled with by some in this Nation Yet if it could be got well done in every particular Parish Since the Bishop may not be alwayes Vacant it may be thought no Disorder for the Parish Minister every year as Occasion offers to do this in the presence of the Parents and famous Witnesses personally and particularly to joyn them to the LORD And if there were not alas too great incuriousness about matters of Religion a mean so helpful to the ends thereof may be put in use So to conclude this Point I shall Reinforce my earnest Exhortation to Christian Parents in behalf of their Children for this particular instance of their Care for their Souls and to remember Gospel Ministers of their duty as to this And since through the unsetledness of the Times it can