Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	scripture_n	sense_n	true_a	3,681	5	5.0801	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01032	A sermon discursing the true meaning of these vvords: The I. epistle of Timothy, the 2. chapt. vers. the 4. VVho will haue all men to be saued, and to come to the knowledge of the truth, &c. Preached by the reuerend Mr. Iohn Forbes, pastour to the company of marchant adventurers residing in Delph. Anno 1632	Forbes, John, 1568?-1634.	1632 (1632)	STC 11135; ESTC S118029	16,202	56

besides that it opens a gap to some absurdities vvherof vve are not to speake at this time It is an euasion for vvant if better light in Gods truth to manifest Gods minde The secōd meaning of these vvords is vvhen the vvords all men about vvhich all our question is are interpreted of euery perticular man vvithout exception secluding none The third meaning is vvhen these vvords all men are not taken for euerie perticular man but as the scripture oftentimes vses this vvord all for all sortes and kindes of men of al nations people and tounges of vvhat state or condition soeuer they be and so the meaning vvill be this that no sort nor estate nor condition of mankinde no nation nor kindred toung or sex is excluded but that God vvill haue men of all sortes degrees and qualities Countries and conditions to be saued There is yet a fourth meaning interpretation of this place vvhich might yeeld vs a commodious of these vvords that ariseth from the consideratiō of Gods wil either as vve referre it to that vvhich God himselfe vvilleth of men or as vve referre it to that vvhich is Gods vvil in vs tovvards men to make this more plaine you are to cōsider Gods vvill either as vvee take it for that vvhich is in God himselfe touching the saluatiō of men or as vve referre it to that vvhich God vvilleth to be in vs especially in such as preach the Gospell touching the saluation of mankinde Hovv these vvords are to be vnderstood in the first respect must be gathered out of one of the former meanings but if vve consider them in the second respect of Gods vvill then the meaning vvill be this That it is Gods vvill that vve and euery one of vs that are Christiās especiallie those that are dispencers of the misteries of God should labour both by praier preaching for the saluatiō of euery man vnder the sun And surely this interpretation might stand vvithout any offence because the Apostle brings this as a reason vvhy vve should pray for al men to vvit euē because it is Gods vvil that vve should vvithout exception seek to saue all men and in this respect this sence may stand for euery perticular man for it is the vvill of God that vve should pray for the saluatiō of euery man that vve should preach the Gospell to euery man so this vvill of God is to be considered of that vvhich God vvill haue to be in our practise but not of that vvhich is in his ovvne purpose and yet euen in this sence there is an exception manifest in Gods ovvne vvord for it is not lavvfull to pray for any that commits the since against the holy Ghost as is cleere in the 1. Epis of Iohn 5. chap. 16. vers So that the most commodious sense that wee can giue to these words it cannot hold for euerie perticular man vvithout some manifest exception These be the foure interpretations of any momēt that are applyed to these vvords vvhere of this last as it might probably seeme to be the Apostles meaning so it might satisfie euery man if the nevvnes of it as not beeing yet set abroad in the vvorld vvere not a let and hinderance to the embracing and receaveing of it therefore not standing vpon it but leauing it to bee of vveight according as it shall affect the mind of the hearer VVe come to speake of the second and third interpretations in vvhich stands the vvhole controuersie To finde out vvhich of these tvvo interpretations contayne the true meaning of these vvords vvee are carefullie to vveighe if any of them cannot stand vvithout notable inconuenience and great absurdities yea blasphemies against Gods truth and such other properties of God vvithout vvhich God is not God at all and vvhich doe directlie contradict the nature of Gods Couenant and truth of Gods practise according to that which is reuealed in the scriptures for that sense vvhich doth inferre these absurdities cannot possible bee Gods meaning in these vvordes so that vvee must reiect it as impious and take that other vvhich excludes all the former absurdities fullie agreeth vvith the truth of God else vvhere and iustifies God in his nature prouidence povver and truth Novv concerning the taking these vvords for Gods vvill touching the saluation of euery perticular man doe necessarilie inferre the former absurdities vvhereas taking them in the second sense that is for all sortes kindes of men no inconuenience doth follovv vpon it nor shal there any contradiction bee found in it to the rest of Gods truth revealed in the Scriptures but shall bee found soundly to agree with it in al things To make this manifest vvee vvill come to the proofe of this vvherein that vvee may giue the greater satisfaction to all men VVee vvill examine the truth of this vvill of God touching the saluation of men first as the Scriptures reueale it vnto vs before the coming of Christ in the flesh and secondlie as it is manifested since his coming in the flesh Before Christs coming in the flesh it is most cleare and euident that neither of these interpretations can stand for the vvill of God before Christ vvas so farre from sauing euery perticular man in the vvorld that it vvas not his vvill to saue euery natiō or people or kindred c. seing that it is plaine in the Scriptures that from Abraham to Christ saluation only did belong vnto the Ievves and God did expresselie seclude all the nations of the Gentiles from his Couenant hope of life setting vp a partition vvall betvvixt them his ovvne people the Ievvs vvhich behoowed to be first broken dovvne by Christ at his coming before any nation of the Gentils could be made Cittizens vvith the saints of the houshold of God as is manifest by the Apost speach in the 2. Ephes 12. vvhere he shevves vs that al the Gentils before that time were without Christ and alliants from the common vvealth of Israell and strangers from the Covenant of promise and vvere vvithout hope and vvithout God in the vvorld vvho novv in Christ are made neere by breaking dovvn the stop of the partition vval so that first by his blood shed and the reconciliation of the Gentiles vnto God by his crosse asvvell as the Ievves an entrance and accesse vvas made vnto both Ievv and Gentile to the Father in such sort as the Apostle saith in the 19. ver of the 2. to the Ephes VVe that are Gentiles are no more strangers and forreigners as vvee vvere before The same is plaine by the vvords of the Apostle in the 14. of the Act. the 16. vvhere hee sayth that in the times past God suffered all the Gentiles to vvalke in their owne vvayes In vvhich vvords vvee are carefullie to marke the particle all vvhen hee saith hee suffered all the Gentiles vvhereby hee vvitnesseth playnlie that there vvas not any one nation of the Gentiles that vvas not

A SERMON DISCVRSING THE true meaning of these vvords The 1. Epistle of Timothy the 2. chapt vers the 4. VVho will haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth c. Preached by the reuerend Mr. Iohn Forbes Pastour to the Company of Marchant Adventurers residing in Delph Anno 1632. Imprinted at Delph Anno 1632. A SERMON DISCVRSING THE true meaning of these vvords The 1. Epistle of Timothy the 2. chapt vers the 4. VVho vvill haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth c. THe reasons beloued in the Lord vvhy the Apostle in the former verses vvill haue vs to pray vnto God for al men and in perticular for all that are in authoritie are carefully to be considered of vs. The first wherof vve haue already heard is taken from the great benefit vvhich by our prayers to God for kings such as are in authority it pleaseth the Lord to grant to his Church For our praiers are an effectual meanes to procure from God that by his blessing vpon the GOvernours and their Gouernment his church may liue a quiet and a peaceable life in all Godlinesse and honestie The second reason vvhere of also vvee haue heard is from the nature of the thing in Gods sight before vvhom it is a good and acceptable thing to pray for all men and especiallie for Kings and those that are in authoritie And this vvee haue shevved you to be a speciall motiue to moue vs to doe any dutie but especially to pray for others to vvit vvhen vve knovv that it is a good thing not so much in mans sight as in Gods sight and a thing acceptable in Gods sight and that euen according as he is our Sauiour vvhich is a matter as vvee haue shevved you of singular moment to be considered of vs for vvee are carefullie to looke to this vvhat is acceptable in Gods sight not simply as vve consider God in himselfe in his nature povver goodnes c. but as vvee consider him in reference to our selues as he is our God our Sauiour and Redeemer It follovveth novv that vve speake of the third reason vvher vpon the exhortation of the Apostle to this dutie is grounded and by vvhich all to this last reason is made good vnto vs and clearely confirmed And it is taken from this vvill of God touching the saluation of men vvhose vvill as saith the Apostle is to haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth Generallie hence vvee gather that the vvil of God touching men should be the rule of our praying for them and hovv largelie soeuer Gods vvill is extended to saue men so largely should our prayers be extended to God for their saluation It vvere a vvretched thing if vve should not vvill the saluation of such as God vvill haue saued or that vve should desire them to dye in ignorance vvhom God vvould haue to come to the knovvledge of his truth as all our other actions so especiallie our praiers should haue this vvil of God for their foundation for the knovvledge of it is that vvhich must rule vs in our life and order vs in all our actions perticularlie in this in our mutuall praying one for another For he that is ignorant of Gods vvil can make no acceptable prayer to God seeing nothing can be acceptable to him that is not done according to his vvill VVee knovv that the promise of Christ in the Gospel is this that vvhat soeuer vvee shall aske the Father according to his vvil it shall be granted vnto vs. Thus vve see God hath gratiouslie bound himselfe to heare vs and grant our petitions if they be according to his vvil This Argument of the Apostle is enlarged by three other grounds all manifesting the truth of this point to vvit that God will haue all men to be saued and opening the true meaning of the same The first ground is taken from the vnitie of God himselfe the vnitie of the mediatour betvveene God and man The second ground vvhere by this is confirmed is taken from the ransome made by Christ vvhich vvas for all men therefore prayer is to be made for all men The last ground is set dovvne in the 7. vers and that is this that God hath ordained Pastours to preach this redemption to al men Al these grounds make this point good that God vvill haue all men to be saued and this vvill of God beeing laid dovvne for the ground vvhy vvee should pray for al men vve are carefully to examine the true meaning thereof This point is that vvhich most disturbs the peace of Gods Church this day for the greatest controuersie is concerning the true meaning of this place For certainlie it is an vndoubted truth That according to the extent of Gods vvill touching the saluation of men so is the extent of his Decree of his Election and of Christs redemption for the lymits and extents of Gods vvill are the limits and extents of Gods Decree vnto saluation and the lymi●ts of his Decree are the lymits of his Election and the lymits of his Election are the lymits of the redemption made by Christ Iesus for all these must of necessitie bee of like extent none of them can be made either of straiter or larger extent then other vvhere by it is manifest that the saluation of mankinde must bee as large as Gods vvill is to saue mankinde Therefore by consequence it must follovve that if these vvordes God vvill haue all men to be saued be so to be vnderstood that euery perticular man should be saued then also Gods Decree must bee that euerie perticular man should bee saued and if the Decree of God bee such then certainlie Christ must haue dyed for euerie perticular man asvvell for Cain as for Abell for Esau as for Iacob for Iudas as for Peter c. And the Couenant of grace made by God in Christ vvith mankinde must include all and euerie perticular man but if so be that neither Gods Decree nor Christs redemption nor the Couenant of grace be made vvith all and euery one nor for all and euery one Then certainlie these vvords God vvill haue all men to be saued cannot be meant of euery perticular man let vs come therefore to search by the light of Gods truth the true meaning of Gods minde in these vvords For your clearer vnderstanding vvee vvill first consider the diuers sorts of meanings that are giuen of this sentence and aftervvards try vvhich is the trust Some doe interpret these vvords after this manner they restraine the vvord all to such only as are really saued as if the meaning vvere this that as many of mankind as are saued it is Gods vvill to saue them and certainly it is true that whosoeuer is saued it must be Gods vvill that he is saued but allthough this meaning be tollerable yet it is needeles in deciding this controversie