Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	let_v	see_v	word_n	4,072	5	3.9829	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35421	Spiritual opticks, or, A glasse discovering the weaknesse and imperfection of a Christians knowledge in this life by Nathanael Culvervvell ...	Culverwel, Nathanael, d. 1651?; Dillingham, William, 1617?-1689.	1651 (1651)	Wing C7573; ESTC R8817	20,121	36

Jews are so ignorant of the Messias because they are so little vers't in the Prophets they spend their whole time upon the Law but will not cast an eye upon them he speaks of the modern Jews God in much mercy hath given them glasses and they will not vouchsafe to look in them they were alwayes an obdurate and stiff-necked people rebelling against the Prophets and they go on to fill up the sinnes of their fathers Well but yet the Seers themselves saw but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they saw in them very darkly For 1. Prophesies as the learned Verulam have gradus scalas complementi climbing accomplishments springing and germinant accomplishments A prophesie in the bud is not so easily seen as when it shoots out further and spreads it self in larger growth such passages in Esay as seem to us cleare as the day were to them dark and Enigmaticall and we see how obscure Saint Johns prophesie seems to us And the Devil who was alwaies Gods Ape he over-imitated here for his oracles were wrapt up in so many clouds and withall so full of fallacies as none ever could tell their meaning till event had given the interpretation The Prince of Darknesse would make all his sayings wear his livery Divine prophesies are as cleare as crystall if compared with his cloudy oracles 2. Prophesies at best are but weak and impefect things and therefore they also shall be abolished no need of them in heaven they were very beneficiall to the Church militant to acquaint her with approaching judgements and prepare her for intended mercies but when happinesse is present and compleat no need of them then in the Church triumphant Thus you have seen how they under the Law saw but darkly and if Gods peculiar people had so little knowledge of him in what grosse and palpaple ignorance did they live that had none of this his light shining upon them for in Judah was God known and his name was famous in Israel He hath not dealt so with every nation neither had the heathen knowledge of his law And now if we look upon our selves that live under the light of the Gospel even we in this sun-shinne see but darkly 1. There are many Evangelicall riddles a God incarnate a crucified Saviour which are such 1. as the Angels themselves see but darkly and therefore they are still prying to see more 2. Reason that great patron of unbelief wrangles against them and yet reason it self will dictate thus much That the mysteries of religion should be above the reach of reason 3. The greatest part of the world reject them the Greeks esteem them foolishnesse they think there is not so much in them as in a riddle in that there is some hidden sense but these are plain foolishnesse in their esteem and Evangelium to the Jews is no more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so they blasphemously call it volumen iniquitatis They stumble at a crucified Saviour and yet themselves were the crucifiers of him The vail of the temple rent at his death I but the vail is still upon their hearts and yet that e're long shall be rent too and they shall see him whom they have pierced and shall mourn and be in much bitternesse and confesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We crucified our love we crucified our Saviour 2. There are many Practicall truths which are meer riddles to carnall spirits as to forsake all for a persecuted Christ to cut off right hands pluck out right eyes pray for enemies not to do evil that good may come thereof these principles they can hardly digest and there are many Christian priviledges which they know not what to make of Assurance of Gods favour Communion with him hidden Mannah Joy in the Holy Ghost glorious and unspeakable These and such like puzle their apprehensions for they never entered into the heart of a naturall man to conceive it is too narrow for them to enter 3. There are many passages which to Christians themselves are dark and enigmaticall such as we cannot easily understand The book of the Revelation is all vail'd with obscurity the first thing we meet with almost are seven seals it is full of hidden secrets and who is there that can unseal the book Our adversaries the Papists catch at this and are ready with a double inference The Scriptures are enigmaticall therefore clear them with Traditions therefore keep them from the people But 1. When we speak of the Scriptures darknesse it is but comparatively in respect of those bright manifestations we shall have of God hereafter A pearl may be cleare and orient and yet dark in respect of a starre a starre may be bright and yet obscure if compared with the sunne 2. All truths belonging to the essence of a Christian are plain and perspicuous and there is an assisting spirit which though they perhaps may scoff at and some others may unjustly pretend too yet without doubt it shall lead Gods people into all truth 3. Is their Cabala so pure are their traditions so cleare and crystaline as that we shall see in them better then in the word if you cannot see in a pellucid stream do you think to see in a muddy standing pool But Secondly The Scriptures are enigmaticall therefore keep them from the people Nay rather therefore explain them to them therefore set up a faithfull ministery whose lips may preserve knowledge and acquaint them with the mysteries of salvation and open to them these hidden oracles And let the people themselves search the Scriptures dig for knowledge as for silver and for wisdome as hid treasure Again they had better see in a glasse though but darkly then not to see at all truth in a cloud in a riddle is more amiable then a black and palpable ignorance 3. They keep the Scriptures from them not because they see in them so darkly but lest they should see in them too clearely and above all they lock up the Revelation not as it is obscure but because it threatens the seven hills so much And thus we have look't upon the third particular the glasse of the Scriptures Fourthly In speculo Providentiae Here Gods glorious attributes shine forth his wisdome justice goodnesse and the rest of that glorious constellation And Providence sets before us examples they are glasses in which we may see either the beauty of holinesse or else sinnes deformitie And it is no small felicity of this later age that we have the use of these glasses the benefit of so many former examples and yet we see in them but darkly they are a cloud of witnesses as it is Hebr. 12.1 though in another sense Providence is very mysterious and there is no readier way to Atheisme then to question it when we cannot give a sufficient account of it The Indians have a custome once a yeare to cast a golden bushel into the sea and thus they think they set a measure and bound to its proud waves