Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	speak_v	spirit_n	worship_v	2,123	5	8.9605	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93880	The teachings of Christ in the soule. Opened in a sermon before the Right Honble House of Peers, in Covent-garden-Church, upon the solemne day of their monthly fast, March 29. 1648. / By Peter Sterry, M.A. sometimes fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge: and now preacher of the Gospel in London. Published by order of that House.	Sterry, Peter, 1613-1672.	1648 (1648)	Wing S5486; Thomason E433_30; ESTC R204205	36,001	61

of colours It must have pleni-potency an all-sufficiency a Divinity of certainty and clearnesse in and of it self No other thing can ever make the soul fully sure without trembling or wavering A man must be of necessity double-minded and like a wave of the Sea as Saint James speaks Iames 1. till he come to the Corner stone the Bottom reason of truth because the whole Building of truth stands on this That only is a Demonstrating Principle an assuring a quieting truth which is so first of all that there lies no appeale from it to any it self being the Fountain which gives testimony to all truths but receives or needs a testimony from none 2. Immediate truths These are such as have an immediate Vnion with the Soul that there may be no dispute about their Evidence or diminution or danger of corruption by any second hand Saint Paul calls it a Demonstration of power when the first Light the first Truths communicate themselves nakedly to the naked soule of man both being uncloth'd of any intervening representations or reports Thus the Soul receives the Light of truth in the dignity of its strength in the excellenty of its might as Iacob speaks of his First-born The power of Truth is the first and highest Appearance which is proper perfect substantiall All inferiour appearances are Truth in its weakness and shadowy God made man and woman One that they might have a Holy Seed a Sead of God in the Hebrew Malac. 2. 15. The first Truth as the Man the Soule as the Woman must be espoused and married joyn'd without a Deputy or a Third they must be immediately entirely One that they may have a Seed of God a race of Truths cleer and Sure having the full brightnesse of a Demonstration shining in their faces If any thing come between your understanding or belief and the first Truths you doe not trust to their Testimony but to the report of some other thing concerning them The men of Samaria said to the Woman Now we believe not because of thy saying For we have heard Him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world Iohn 4. 42. If thy Soul will have any one truth in the demonstration of power it must be able to say to the Principle of Truth the highest Truth Now I believe not because of any other testimony proof or evidence For I have heard and seen and handled thee in my self and so I know that thou art indeed in substance and power the anointing Truth the only Light and Anointing of all truths 2. Quest What is the Spirit Answ The Spirit is a name of essence or subsistence in God of the divine Nature or one of the three divine Persons I wil speak of it now as it signifies the essence or nature of God God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth Iohn 4. 24. The Spirit is God unveil'd and shining out in his true Appearance above all the shadows types and Images of him in the Creatures The Flesh profits not but the Spirit quickneth Ioh. 6. 63. Thus our Saviour opposeth the Created and Uncreated part of things in his owne Person under the names of Flests and Spirit Divines say that every Creature even the highest A●●el hath something of materiality darknesse grosnesse composition carnality and so it is Flesh compared with God who only is a Spirit as the Spirit is a name of unity simplicity purity The Spirit then is God in the simplicity of his own Person abstracted from all mixture or composition with the Creature 3. Quest What is the Demonstration of the Spirit God in his Spirituall appearance to the Soul is the first Truth For He is above All. He is the Immediate Truth For he alone is most intimate with all things Nothing can unite it selfe to the Soul so inwardly so immediately as God For all things are by Him This is the onely Demonstration of every of any Truth the Spirituall appearance of God in the Soul holding forth that Truth in his own Light When Saint Paul had spoken of the Demonstration of the Spirit he adds that your faith might be not in the Wisdome of men but in the power of God 1 Cor. 2. 5. The Demonstration of the Spirit is above nature reason and all Principles of Wisdome or Truth in any Creature It is the power of God as God bringing forth the discovery of himself and all Truths as particular discoveries in that Vniversall One like branches in the stock of a tree or beames in the body of the Sun In thy light shall we see light Psal 36. 9. In the manifestation of God within us shall we see the manifestation of each Truth You are Light in the Lord Ephes 5. 8. Every Person every appearance is Light hath a power of evidencing and manifesting it self so far only as it is in the Light of God 4. Quest How is the Demonstration of the Spirit appropriated to Jesus Christ Answ Saint Paul shall answer this question Acts 3. 3. Having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which we now see The Spirituall manifestation of God is the onely distinguishing character the demonstration of every spirituall truth This appearance is the Promise the great and last promise of the Father the great and last expectation of all the Saints The Lord Jesus received this manifestation of God in the Person of the Holy Ghost immediately We all receive it or wait for it in the Person of Jesus Christ by His Mediation This Spirit or this Spirituall shining out of the divine Majesty is the onely Seale of truth Ephes 1. 13. Ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise in the former part of the Verse were these words after that ye received the word of truth They were sealed that is the truth of the Gospel was sealed in and to and on them by the Seale of the Spirit which is the Ingraving of the first Truth upon each truth or heart The Lord Jesus is the Angel that hath this Seale of the living God in his hand Revel 7. 2. For He himself is first sealed with it and all other Members of this Truth or Disciples of this Master are sealed by and in Him Him hath the Father sealed Joh. 6. 27. The Father is the Sealer primitively by power and authority The Son as he is the second Person in the Trinity is the Image which the Father sets on when he seals Heb. 1. 3. the expresse Image of his Person the Sealing Image The Holy Spirit is the Impression of this Image in and by the Father In this sense the Holy Ghost is said to be received as the Wax receives Impression of the Image in sealing So he is called the Sealing wherewith we are sealed in that fore-quoted place of the Ephesians The Person of the Lord Jesus as he is Mediatour God-man is the Sealer by place and

speak two or three and let the rest judge Ver. 30. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by let the first hold his peace Ver. 31. For ye may all prophesie one by one that all may learn and all may be comforted A Prophet is the Oracle of God for the delivery of Divine Discoveries to men And in this sense God speaketh of Christ Hebr. 1. 2. God hath spoken in these last times by his Sonne Glorious truths laid up in God concerning Himselfe and the Heavenly estate of things are revealed first to Jesus Christ and by him to us The Lord Jesus is God-man God and Man in Vnion As God he possesseth eternally all Divine Truths in Himself then by vertue of the Vnion he drawes forth these Truths out of the Depth of the Divine nature into the Humane as it were to the top of the water that they may be visible there Divine Truths can live no where but in the Divine nature neither can they appeare to us but in the Humane nature Therefore can there be a Spirituall Discovery no where but in Jesus Christ where he goes along with it and carryes it on in his owne Person Because in Him alone is the Vnion betweene both Natures Object But you may say May we heare no Person in Divine things May no man speak to us the things of God besides Jesus Christ Were there not Prophets before his Being in the flesh Have there not been Prophets and Teachers in the Church since his fleshly comming Ans You shall have an Answer to this Objection from the mouth of an Angel Rev. 19. 10. Saint John would have worshipt the Angel which ministred to him the revelations of Jesus Christ But he forbade it in these words See thou doe it nor I am thy fellow-servant and of thy Brethren that have the Testimony of JESUS worship God For the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophesie Prophesie is a Discovery of Divine things by a Divine light This is that which is called a Revelation Ephes 1. 17. The Spirit of Wisdome and Revelation in the Knowledge of Him that is Jesus Christ And 1 Cor. 14. 30. If any thing be revealed to another let the first hold his peace Nothing can come to us in a Divine light except it come in Christ and his Appearance For this is that which makes the Day in Divine things Ye are Children of the Light and of the Day We are to take nothing for a Divine Light a Prophesie or a Revelation except the Lord Jesus give his Testimony to it by his Appearance in it Worship God saith the Angel I am a servant who beare the Image of the Living God which is the Appearance of Jesus Christ in me I am no more than the Precious Stones were under the Law on which a Light from Heaven shone forth to give answers from God I am onely the Lanthorne that carry the Light in me which sends forth its Beames to you The Prophet saith To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to these they have no Light in them Esay 8. 20. This he speaketh of the Prophets No Light that is no Morning All Prophesies or Spirituall Discoveries before Christ appeared were as Morning light which flowes from the Sun though that be not yet seene it selfe All since Christ are as Beames falling from his Face S. Paul calls all Gospel-discoveries The Glory of God in the Face of Christ 2. Cor. 4. 6. Thus much for the Answer to this Objection and the Reason of the Point The Application Use 1 FOr Humiliation Right Honourable Can you weep with your Saviour one houre You have set this Day and many your Saviour hath set this Yeere and many such Yeeres apart to this end Long did our Lord Jesus pipe to us with the sweet sounds of Peace Plenty Pleasures But we danced not to the Musick of his Love Now he hath long wept to us he comes forth cloth'd with red garments riding on the pale horse of Death in the midst of us If we now mourne not to him it is a Rebellion as the sinne of Witchcraft it is to make merry with Devils and exalt our selves with Lucifer My Lords If a sense of your Saviour's frownes and the sorrowes of your people have wrought your soules to a mourning temper I humbly beg two things of you One that you would mourne seriously the other that you would mourne spiritually 1. Mourne seriously The Lord Jesus is our Master He sets us serious Lessons of Sorrow Let us raise our Spirits to their Watch-tower to a wakefull temper What doe we now see The Lord Jesus making three Kingdomes in a view as three Wine-presses Himselfe treading them where the Grapes are men the Wine the precious blood and the deare lives of many thousands of men Yet his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still Still he seemes to be gathering together under his feet the remaining Clusters to tread them into streams of blood till there be none left till the dry land of Peace or Hope be no more to be seene but a deluge of blood swallow up all But What doe we see The Lord Jesus making three Kingdomes as Bottles filling them first with the winde of Vanity and Pride then with the Wine of their owne Fury and his Wrath so dashing them in pieces one against another till they become as broken Pot-sheards Yet his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still Still he seemes to be hissing fot a troupe of fiercer spirits from the darke and fiery corners of hell below to enter into these Pot-sheards that they may make a more confused and crueller Warre each with other Are these things Dreames and Fancies or are they seriously thus We reade of a Law which God made among the Jewes Levit. 23. 29. that if any one afflicted not himselfe on a solemne day of Humiliation that soule should be cut off from his people O God! let not this curse fall upon my Spirit or upon any Spirit here present this day to be so far cut off from being a living member of Jesus Christ or a naturall member of his native countrey as to mourne but in shew or slightly now when the Lord Jesus riseth upon us in such a Cloud of deepe and reall Sorrowes If any man at this time regardlesse of that storme which he sees in his Saviour's face or of the sufferings of his Brethren shall make himselfe red with Wine and Laughter when Jesus Christ is red with anger and blood is it not O God because thou hast made the heart of that man fat for a sudden Slaughter Let us then mourne seriously 2. Mourne spiritually Imitate Jesus Christ make him your Master this way in your Griefes We reade of him Mar. 14. 33 34. He began to be heavy and sore amazed And he said My soule is exceeding sorrowfull even unto death Alas our Brethren our Country

their owne Spirits while they are one Spirit with Jesus Christ Many such lessons Jesus Christ teacheth us but they all are easily learn'd and practised when we thorowly understand those two great Lessons of the Lovelinesse and Love of Jesus Christ He that looks upon the Lovelinesse of Jesus Christ as he looks will feel himself by degrees transform'd into the same Spirituall beauties 2 Cor. 3. 1. Beholding the glory of the Lord we are chang'd into the likenesse of the same Image He that dives into the Love of Jesus Christ will feel himself irresistibly drawn and forc'd by it to answer and imitate it 2 Cor. 5. 14. The Love of Christ constraineth us The Lovelinesse and Love of the Lord Jesus fall both into the same Path. He that hath found one hath found both This is the shortest sweetest plainest and perfectest way to Heaven What shall I now say to conclude this Exhortation If the Lord Jesus have been working with me this day confirming the words which I have spoken outwardly to your ears with his words spoken inwardly to your hearts then I know your Hearts have been powerfully touch'd and some one among you sweetly affected with Jesus Christ begins to say I have hitherto sought my Honour in the Glory the Sweetness of my life in the pleasures of this world But doe thou thus still teach me ô my Iesus Make me to hear from thy mouth the sound of thy Loveliness and Love in my Spirit Then shall I have more joy in these things then ever I have had when my Corne and Oyle have abounded the treasures and delicacies of the Flesh Use 4 Direction You shall know the Teachings of Jesus Christ from all other by these Properties 1. Love 2. Life 3. Power 4. Perpetuity 5. Infallibility in his Person 6. Demonstration of his Doctrine 1. Property Love The teachings of Christ fell upon the Soul like the Soft rain upon the tender grasse The Touchings of men have much of their own humours and passions mingled with them which often nip the young 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the breathings of Christ are soft and gentle not quenching any heat though never so weak and dark but fanning the least smoke till it be a flame As the Eagle bears her yong ones upon her Wing and so teacheth them to flie thus doth the Lord Jesus train us up to Spirituality bearing our infirmities 2. Property Life Jesus Christ speaks quickning creating words As he instructs he infuseth a Principle suitable to his Doctrine He holds forth a Light and makes a seeing Eye He utters divine Mysteries and makes a hearing Eare. He presents love riches joy strength and gives a heart to receive it 3. Property Power Jesus Christ speaks not Words but Things You have not so learn'd Christ if you have been taught of him and have learn'd the Truth as it is in him Ephes 4. 20 21. Christ doth not teach by signes but the sabstance it self He presents the Excellencies of which he discourseth He shews them to the life in his own Person He plants them and sets them in the Soule to grow there Christ so teacheth that he makes his words Spirit and Life Iohn 6. 63. one Spirit and Life with Himself and you He makes these three one Spirit the Teacher the Truths taught the Disciple that learns them 4. Property Perpetuity 'T is said of God that His work is for ever Eccles So are the teachings of Christ for ever He gives us his Spirit to be a Treasury and a Remembrancer of all Truth to us He shall bring all things to your mind Iohn Thou hast the words of everlasting life Iohn The words of Christ will live in your Spirits as long as ye live in your death eternally 5. Property The infallibility of his Person Let God be true and every man a lyar Rom. 3. 4. Nay man is not onely a Lyar but a Lie Surely men of low degree are Vanity and men of high degree are a Lie to be laid in a balance they are altogether lighter than Vanity Psal 62. 9. Man is nothing more than an empty appearance If he pretend to be or appear any thing he makes himself a Lie The wit strength excellency of man serve only to make a strong delusion Man hath infallibity no more then he hath immortality But Jesus Christ is more than man He is God too God neither tempts any man nor can be tempted James 1. 13. Jesus Christ cannot deceive any man nor be deceived If He appear His appearances are true If Jesus Christ say It is I the winds of temptation the waves of doubt obey and the greatest storm in the Soul is silenced into a Calme There remains now only the last Property of Christ's teachings which is the Principall one I shall therefore be somewhat the larger upon it 6. Property Demonstration of his Doctrines Saint Paul testifies of himself 1 Cor. 2. 4. And my Preaching was not in the enticing words of man's Wisdome but in the Demonstration of the Spirit and of power When Paul preached with an infallibility it was not Paul but the Lord Jesus that spake and gave a Demonstration of that which he spake 1 Cor. 7. 10. Saint Paul makes a three fold Opposition 1. Oppos Between Words and Power 2. Oppos Between Enticing words and Demonstration 3. Oppos Between Man's wisdome and the Spirit Enticing words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perswasive words such as are able to beget a humane faith to the highest The Demonstrations of Christ in his teachings are above not the Rhetorick only but the Philosophy of man They are more then words fancy wit reason or wisdome it self so far as man or any meer Creature is capable of them There are four Questions which being propounded and answered will give much light to this Scripture and this Property 1. Quest What is a Demonstration 2. Quest What is the Spirit 3. Quest What is the Demonstration of the Spirit 4. Quest How this is appropriated to Jesus Christ 1. Q. What is a Demonstration Answ A Demonstration is the Evidencing of things by an irresistible light and clearness of conviction The Philosopher teacheth us from the Principles of reason and nature that a Demonstration must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by such Truths as are the First truths in themselves and most immediate in respect to us The truths by which you will demonstrate any thing must be 1. First truths 2. Immediate truths 1. First truths Such as have none above none before them on which they depend for Certainty and Clearness Demonstrating truths must be absolute unquestionable such as no understanding can resist when they are presented That which manifests is Light Ephes 5. 13. That which makes clearly manifest without any deniall or doubt is Light in which there is no darkness as S. John speaks of God 1 J. 1. 5. Such a Light must that be which carries a Demonstration along with it It must be the originall and measure of all Truth as Light is