Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	seek_v	spirit_n	worship_v	7,034	5	9.8542	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92846	The anatomy of secret sins, presumptuous sins, sins in dominion, & uprightness. Wherein divers weighty cases are resolved in relation to all those particulars: delivered in divers sermons preached at Mildreds in Bread-street London, on Psalm 19. 12, 13. Together with the remissibleness of all sin, and the irremissibleness of the sin against the Holy Ghost preached before an honourable auditory. By that reverend and faithfull minister of the Gospel, Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick, B.D. Perfected by himself, and published by those whom he intrusted with his notes.	Sedgwick, Obadiah, 1600?-1658.; Chambers, Humphrey, 1598 or 9-1662.	1660 (1660)	Wing S2363; Thomason E1003_1; ESTC R203493	249,727	327

strive and aim at as David here did and Why we should endeavour to be upright endeavour to be upright There are abundant reasons thereof I will deliver a few unto you First this uprightnesse is the great thing which God looks for Uprightness is the great thing that God looks for Joh. 4. 23. The true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth for the father seeketh such to worship him Gods seeking notes either his grace which prevents us or his pleasure which enjoyns us The father seeketh such to worship him i. the Lord by all means would have men in his services to come with spirit and truth to be upright Prov. 23. 26. My son give me thy heart q. d. though the body be made by me and every part thereof and though that whole frame be made for me as well as by me and thou art to glorifie me in thy body yet that which I principally enjoyn thee in thy services is to bring them with thy heart with affections intirely and not pretensively Nay secondly this is it which the Lord looks at See Jerem. This is it the Lord looks at 5. 3. Are not thine eyes upon the truth q. d. Why it is not your words which God doth so much regard nor is it your looks nor your tears nor your cries that which the Lord sets his eye on is the truth of the heart in and under all these uprightnesse there Excellent is that place in 1 Chr. 29. 17. I know also my God said David that thou triest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightnesse As for me in the uprightnesse of my heart I have willingly offered all these things In that place you finde David contributing toward the building of the Temple and stirring up others to that work and David for his part gave like a King thereto even three thousand talents of gold of gold of Ophir ver 4. And seven thousand talents of refined silver and the chief of the Fathers and the Princes gave also five thousand talents of gold and ten thousand d●ammes and of silver ten thousand talents and of brass eighteen thousand talents and one hundred thousand talents of iron besides precious stones v. 6 7 8. Now what a goodly gift was all this but David presently subjoynes I know my God that thou triest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightnesse q. d. O Lord all this is nothing thou wilt not accept of it thou wilt not look upon it if uprightness be wanting O that is it which thou regardest the heart the heart thou triest and if uprightnesse be found there that is it which thou regardest You read of the Jews that they made many prayers but God would not hear them brought many oblations but they were vaine i. is of no account Esay 1. 11 12. and 15. They remember the solemne feasts but prevailed not with God he did shut his eyes nay they were at their solemn fasts too but God took no knowledge Esay 58. 3. He gives the reason in both places in Esay 1. 15. your hands are full of blood ver 16. wash ye c. and Esay 58. 4. Behold ye fast for strife and debate to smite with the fist of wickedness ver 6. Is not this the fast which I have chosen to loose the bands of wickednesse q. d. away ye hypocrites do you commit and allow cruelties and villanies and oppressions and whoredomes and then bring multitudes of sacrifices and oblations and cryings and think that I am taken with these go and cleanse your hearts mend your lives leave your sins be plain upright with me that is it which I look at more then any thing that is it which pleaseth me Hence it is that oftimes in Scripture that the Hebrew word Jashar which signifies Right is many times translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pleasing as Numb 23. 27. perhaps it will seem right in the eyes of the Lord we translate it peradventure it will please God so true is that of Solomon Prov. 11. 20. Such as are upright in their way are his delight yea and so that phrase of walking with God which is nothing else but the path of the just or upright is rendred by the Septuagint pleasing of God as Gen. 5. 22. 24. holy Enoch walking with God The seventy renders it he pleased God Thirdly this seemes to be the only thing that God expects 1 Sam. 12 24. onely fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all This is the only thing which God expects your heart Deut. 10. 12. And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God and to walk in all his ways and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul When the Lord did enter into the Covenant with Abraham Gen. 17. and promised to be an Al-sufficient God unto him what doth he require of Abraham but only this be thou upright when he advanced Solomon to the Kingdome and enricht him with honour and wealth and wisdome above all that ever sat on the Throne what did he require of him 1 Kings 3. 14. Walk in my wayes keep my Statutes as thy father David did How was that see back to vers 6. David my father walked before thee in truth and righteousness and in uprightnesse of heart When Paul had commended many singular things of knowledge and duty to the Corinthians he closeth up all with finally my brethren be perfect 2 Cor. 13. 11. q. d. Will you have me to give you all in one word why then be perfect be upright 4. Uprightness doth bring the whole man unto God It is that Vprightnesse doth bring the whole man to God which commands all and carries all with it the thoughts these inward and sweet breathings of the minde Let the meditations of my heart be alwayes acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer saith upright David in Psalme 19. 14. The words Let the words of my mouth be acceptable so he there the mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom and his talk is of judgement Psalm 37. 30. The heart the Law of his God is in his heart Psalm 37. 31. my heart is fixed saith David again the conversation that is ordered aright Psal 50. hath a man any gifts many gifts why uprightnesse brings in their use and strength to God hath he any graces why uprightness brings in their service to God it keeps us in with God and are one with God and will not suffer us to deal falsely with God 5. God judgeth of a man by his uprightnesse thou art in his judgement good or bad according to the presence or absence God judgeth of a man by his uprightnesse of uprightnesse this is that which distinguisheth twixt the precious and the vile twixt the faithful and the unsound In outward appearances and in the colour of visible services the good

there is a two-fold self-love One Subordination wherein my aim is first and most to Gods Glory to my self indeed there is a respect but not first of all not most of all not only to my self such a self-love in the discharge of Duties is very lawfull and the upright have it Another of Competition wherein I regard not the glory of Of competition God I mind it not or else I respect my self more then it so that all may be hushed up so that I might have joy and heaven and escape Hell I care not for the glory of God I would not do duty but to preserve my self Such a self love as this is opposite to uprightness for though God gives us leave to mind and respect our selves yet he commands us first and most to respect and aim at his glory Doubts of uprightness from self-applause or vasn-glory Whether all self-applause and vain glory be incompatible with uprightness Sol. I shall briefly assoyle this Inquiry 1. Selfe-applause is the magnifying of our selves for duties Self-applause what it is happily performed It is a kind of adoration and admiration of our selves by higher opinions of our selves or thoughts also that no others will highly imagine of us and admire the eminency of our parts and gifts and quick abilities and enlarged affections Now this I say that though a man may be lawfully enlarged with joy and thankfulness to God who hath graciously assisted and inlarged him in the performance of duties and his spirit thereupon may be the more cleered Yet self-applause is naught and opposite to uprightness it is nothing else but a forgetfulness of our God and of his strength of his grace by which we did his service It doth not spring from humble uprightness but from a proud conceitedness and is the After-clap of Satan and our sinfull hearts which kick down and undo that work which otherwise had been very well done 2. Again Vain glory is the setting forth of our selves in duty Vain glory what it is it is the using of our Masters coin for the servants benefit When a man doth hear or preach or pray or give alms only or principally to be seen to be esteemed to be spoken of his own credit is the end of his work This is a manifest fruit of Hypocrisie Christ hath delivered it fully in Mat. 6. Look as he playes the Hypocrite who doth some good but yet will will not do all duty and who doth much duty but loves some sin so likewise he playes the Hypocrite that doth all duty meerly to advance and trumpet out his own name and estimation and glory Self-applause is a subsequent Hypocrisie which follows the work Vain-glory is an Antecedent Hypocrisie Distinguish of self-applause and vain glory which moves us to the work 3. Nevertheless you must distinguish of self-applause and vain-glory that they are either 1. Naked Acts or Motions 2. Habitual qualities or Dispositions Even the most upright person may find them in respect of motion but the Hypocrite hath them in respect of disposition In the one they arise up as temptation for it is a most difficult thing totally to be rid of our selves either before or in or after Duties In the other they rise up as natural affections the one feeds on them as on meat the other is troubled with them as with poyson they break the heart of the one with pride of the other with sorrow and humbling In the one they are approbations in the the other they are vexations In an Hypocrite they are like the wind which fills the sails In an upright person they are like the wind which troubles the stomack The Duties done by an Hypocrite are like glasses made and blown up only by breath the Applause of men breaths strongly upon his affections to set out his services But it is with an uptight person in this case as with a leaf on a tree a little breathing of the air makes it to tremble An upright person is afraid of his own high opinion or the commendation of others He can be highly glad when the honour is cast on God and if any after-risings begin to grow for former Duties he is not well till he hath cast them down by after-humblings The upright person is much with God before duty and all for God after it He takes all the strength of Action out of Gods hand and therefore would not finger the least scruple of praise He looks on inward applause as a cross and on publique as a danger In the one I hate my self in the other I fear my self Object It is lawful I confess to know what God hath given us and to acknowledge the good which he hath done in us or by us how else can we be thankfull Sol. But then it is necessary to make him the end whom we acknowledge to be the cause to give unto God the glory who hath given to us the strength No more to this case but this beg for much grace to do duty and when you have done it beg for much strength to give God the glory of it An Hypocrite is made up of himself and men but the upright person is made only by God and for him SECT V. A Third use of the Doctrine shall be to stir us up to get Use 3 Uprightness and to keep it there are two things which Labour to get uprightness and keep it here offer themselves viz. 1. Motives to perswade us 2. Means to direct and help us 1. For the first of these what shall I say how shall I perswade If all the Arguments of heaven or earth might be available I have them at hand to present them unto you to Motives excite your hearts to this labour If there be any regard of a God of a Christ of your souls of your comforts here of your happiness hereafter then think of Uprightness content not your selves till you have it Why 1. God regards you not if you be not upright his eyes are upon the truth and he will be worshipped in spirit and truth thousands God regards you not if not upright of Rams and rivers of oil daily oblations solemn humblings cryings and callings he cannot away with them he hides his face from them if the heart under these be false and doubting The Word of God condemns you if you be not upright it will not acquit you if you have Lamps without oyl a form of godliness without the power thereof though you make many prayers though long prayers though you give much alms yet if your hearts be not upright in these the Word will condemn you for Hypocrites and will give you your portion with them who shall have the greater damnation Your conscience will secretly reproach and vex you in the day of your calamity when any judgement hangs over thy head or any affliction comes near unto thee then will thy conscience rise up and gall and wound thee for thy