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	worshipper_n	2,020	5	12.2044	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51788	Præparatio evangelica, or, A plain and practical discourse concerning the soul's preparation for a blessed eternity being the substance of several sermons preach'd at Leeds / by Timothy Manlove ...	Manlove, Timothy, d. 1699.	1698 (1698)	Wing M455; ESTC R6789	123,238	196

because they sure not with your own carnal Temper Or will you try to put asunder what God has join'd together Or expect to be saved without being first sanctified The Counsel of the Lord that shall stand Prov. 19.21 If ever ye come to to Heaven ye must first be conformed to the holy Image of Jesus Christ or sanctified by his Spirit Is not eternal Life the Gift of God and has he not told us the way in which he hath determin'd to give it and is it not downright madness to expect it out of God's way If therefore you be sollicitous concerning your everlasting Welfare do not take the preposterous course of those Persons who beginning at the wrong end first amuse themselves about the eternal Decrees of God remember secret things belong to him revealed to you therefore turn your Thoughts inward examin whether you have been effectually called so as to consent to the holy Covenant and if so ye may comsortably conclude concerning your Election 2 Pet. 1.10 2 Cor. 13.5 But because there are some Persons who affect to cavil against this sort of Doctrine I have thought meet to transcribe part of the 17th Article of the Church of England Valeat quantum valere potest Predestination to Life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the Foundations of the World were laid he hath constantly decreed by his Counsel secret to us to deliver from Curse and Damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of Mankind and to bring them by Christ to Everlasting Salvation as Vessels made to honour Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a Benefit of God be called according to God's purpose by his Spirit working in due Season They through Grace obey the Calling They be justified freely They be made Sons of God by Adoption They be made like the Image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ They walk religiously in good Works and at length by God's Mercy they attain to Everlasting Felicity c. To conclude you must either acknowledg the Decree of Election or say that all Men shall be saved 〈◊〉 that none shall be so For nothing can be more evident than that God decrees whatsoever he effects 2. Redeeming Love hath joined Sanctification and Salvation together It was no part of our Blessed Saviour's design to procure the admission of unholy Souls while such to Heaven That would have been to have laid Heaven and Hell common But he hath made way for the Communication of that Grace which must fit us for Glory and then for our entrance thereinto 1 John 3.8 He that committeth Sin is o● the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning Fo● this purpose the Son of God was manifested that ●e might destroy the works of the Devil Matth. 1.21 He shall save his People from not in their Sins Ti●● 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purity unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good works Ephes 5.25 26. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it The Grace of the Redeemer was never intended to exempt us from the Obligation of Obedience to our Creator but to bring us back thereto The promisory part of the Law of Innocency is indeed ceased by reason of our Incapacity A guilty Creature can lay no claim to Life and Happiness by virtue of a Covenant which required perfect and perpetual Obedience as the Condition thereof But then the preceptive part of that Law is still so far in force that the least violation of the Divine Law is Sin And the least Sin makes perpetual Punishment our due except pardoning Mercy interpose for our deliverance And here it is that the Grace of the Redeemer takes place Tho' perfect Obedience be still commanded us yet it is not insisted upon as a condition whereupon our Eternal Happiness is suspended Sincerity shall be accepted through the Maths and Mediation of Jesus Christ who hath in his own Person fulfilled all Righteousness and withal offered up himself a Sacrifice to satisfy Divine Justice for our Disobedience Pray be clear in these things Do not expect that Christ will save you unless you ●ay down your Arms and submit to the Divine Soveraignty How can there be Peace between God and your Souls so long as ye resolve to persist in your Rebellion Is Christ the Minister of Sin Or shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound God forbid Jesus Christ is exalted by the Father to be a Prince and a Saviour To give first Repentance and then Forgivness To turn Men's Hearts from Sin and then to pardon it If ye expect to be saved any other way than through the Merits and Satisfaction of Christ say so and then we shall know that ye are Infidels But if not then know ye that Sanctification is an essential part of that Salvation which Christ hath designed for his Peopel 3. It is a manifest affront to the holy Spirit of God to imagine that Men can be saved without being wrought for it by his renewing Grace 'T is in effect to nullify or deny the Office of the Holy-Ghost as if his gracious Operations upon the Souls of Men were needless or superfluous things Or at least that Men may attain to Happiness without them Is this to believe in the Holy-Ghost or is it not rather to blasphe●● him Do ye not tremble to approach so near to the● pardonable Sin If Men may be saved without being sanctified 〈◊〉 what purpose are all the Influences of the Spirit 〈◊〉 God upon his People If Holiness be so needless 〈◊〉 thing that a Man may come to Heaven well enou●● without it why doth the Spirit strive so long w●● poor Creatures to make them holy Why doth 〈◊〉 still follow them with the earnest Sollici●ations of 〈◊〉 Grace notwithstanding their unkind Resistance fro● one Ordinance and Providence to another H●● great a work is it to quicken Illuminate and draw 〈◊〉 God a dead blind disaffected Soul and to upho●● and carry on the work as has been already opene● What mighty Power doth the Spirit put forth in●●● this and dare ye say 't is more than needs Or prom●●● to your selves Salvation without it This would 〈◊〉 not only to tread under Foot the Son of God as have heard under the former head but to do desp●●● unto the Spirit of Grace I wonder not that such Men make a scoff at the Spiritual Worship of God the Lord convert and p●●don them for they know not what they say nor wh●● they affirm 1 Tim. 1.7 But measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves amongst themselves 〈◊〉 not wise or understand it not 2 Cor. 10.12 Surely in God's account none are look'd upon as 〈◊〉 Worshippers but they who worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to wo●● him Joh. 4.23 But that brings me to 4. The Institution of the Gospel-Ministry and

Ordinances is a further Proof of this great Truth 〈◊〉 works by his appointed Means Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God The Gospel is called the Ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 As also the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.2 And well may it be so called by way of eminency because greater measures of Grace are given under the Gospel-Dispensation than were usual before Now the sacred Office of the Ministry is institured in subserviency to the Influences and Operations of the holy Spirit 'T is he that qualifies Ministers for their work assists them in it and makes it successful to the attainment of its end Moreover the Sum and Substance of that Errand upon which we are sent ye have in the latter end of this Chapter Vers 18 19 20. Namely to tell you that God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself hath committed unto us the word of Reconciliation Now then we are Ambassadours for Christ as tho' God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God Our business therefore is to treat with Sinners in the Name of God and the Redeemer That we may perswade them to comply with the offers of Free Grace And to edify strengthen and help the Joys of those who have heartily complied Ephes 4.11 12 13. And O how strict a charge is laid upon us That we be instant in Season and out of Season reprove rebuke exhort with all Long-suffering and Doctrine For the time will come when c. we may now say 't is already come 2 Tim. 4.2 3 4. And that we watch for your Souls as they that must give an account Heb. 13.17 and warn you of your danger that your Blood may not he required at our Hand Ezek. 3.18 And who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 2.16 Well then if Men may be saved without being wrought for it c. of what use is the ministerial Office Or why are we so strictly charged Moreover the whole Course of Rellgious Duty that is appointed us with that Seriousness and Spirituality therein required doth fully prove the Point we have in hand The holy reverent Worship of God in his Ordinances doth powerfully tend to raise our Souls nearer to him and to make them more like him to heal our spiritual Distempers and to refine and purify all our Faculties and Powers and so to prepare and sit us for the State of Heavenly Perfection Therefore we must not look upon such appointments as if they were only meer arbitrary Injunctions to exact homage from us But tho' Soveraign Authority is to be acknowledged in them we must also consider how infinite Wisdom and Goodness has sured out Work to our End our present Duty to our future Happiness that by the one we might be prepared for the other From whence 't is evident that Holiness is necessary to the Work and Business of our present Life as also to our future Blessedness We can neither serve nor enjoy God here or hereafter without being wrought thereto by his Grace I mention nor the heartless Service of Hypocrites as not being worth taking notice of Hence also ye may learn what ends to propose to your selves in every part of Divine Worship But I proceed 5. None but those who are thus wrought upon have any right to the Heavenly Felicity according to the Tenour of the Gospel-Covenant Unregenerate Persons as such are peremptorily excluded even by the Law of Grace it self Ye cannot produce the least Syllable in Scripture whereupon to ground those hopes of Heaven wherewith such Men are wont to flatter themselves But I can shew you enough to confound and overthrow their wicked Presumptions for ever The Sentence of their Condemnation is legible in almost every Leaf of the Bible yet will they not consider it nor lay it to Heart He that believeth not is condemned already he shall not see Life but the Wrath of God abideth on him Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Joh. 3.3 18 36. If ye live after the Flesh shall die without HOLINESS no Man shall see the Lord. These are the true and faithful Sayings of God All this was settled long before thou wert born if thou hast any exceptions against it thou comest too late with them as one says Assure your selves that these sacred Constitutions cannot be disanulled Your Unbelief shall not make the Truth of God of none effect ye will quickly fa●d whose word shall stand his or yours 〈◊〉 true indeed Pardon and Life are freely offered by the Gospel-grant if thou wilt repent and turn to God throu●● Christ Otherwise it brings upon thee an heavier Co●demn●tion than thou wert under before John 3.10 a sorer Punishment Heb 10.29 The c●●● speaks it self Thou canst plead no Interest in the saving Benefits of the Covenant of Grace unless thou come up to the Terms thereof Abused Mercy turns to greater Indignation Therefore it much concerns you to inquire what those Terms are and not to venture your Souls upon Uncertainties Behold the Judg standeth before the Door Jam. 5.9 What is the Chaff to the Wheat saith the Lord Jer. 23.28 Mat. 3.12 6. None but those who are thus wrought upon have the earnest and first Principles of the Heavenly Felicity How then should they have the thing it self Do ye expect the Fruit without the Seed the Perfection of Holiness and Happiness without the Beginnings thereof the Inheritance without the Earnest How can these things be How absurd are such Hopes as these Would ye be perfect Men in Christ without first going through the Infant-State of Christianity That is being converted and becoming as little Children As for the truly Godly they have Eternal Life abiding in them even that saving transforming practical Knowledg of God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent which is the Inchoation thereof But the Ungodly are not so being dead in Trespasses and Sins To be carnally minded is Death They sow to the Flesh what then can they expect reasonably to reap but Corruption Would ye sow one sort of Grain and reap another Know therefore that the holy Spirit of God working in the Souls of Believers sutable Inclinations Heaven-ward and Desires after it that is rational judicious holy Desires doth thereby give them an earnest of it but still remember If any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8 9. 7. The Guilt of Sin which all unregenerate Persons are under stands between them and Heaven I hope ye know that ye are Sinners and that ye must be justified before you can be glorified The weight of Guilt must needs press you down into everlasting Darkness if it be not taken off by pardoning Mercy and Grace And do ye not also know that there is no Pardon without true Repentance And withal that true Repentance is nothing less than the turning of the Soul from