Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	spirit_n	true_a	worship_v	11,703	5	9.5822	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61275	The perfection of Scripture stated, and its sufficiency argued in a sermon preached at the publick commencement at Cambridge, Sunday July iv, 1697 / by George Stanhope ...	Stanhope, George, 1660-1728.	1697 (1697)	Wing S5226; ESTC R16475	18,590	36

while they continue the darkest Controversies in all Religion we are not to be blamed for not admitting them into Competition and shall do better to suspect these Pretences of Vanity and Enthusiasm and Project than by admitting them to draw such a meaning upon the Words of this Text as might easily be shewed to introduce an inspired Apostle talking neither good Argument nor so much as Coherent and common Sense The Summ then of my Second Head is This That according to all we can reasonably conceive of God he must needs have made some Competent Provision for Men's understanding their Duty They cannot escape eternal Ruine without the Knowledge of it This Knowledge in the Points peculiarly Christian could come to them by Divine Revelation only It does not appear that God hath signaliz'd and distinguish'd any Method or Rule of this kind in so eminent a manner as he hath done the Scriptures and therefore we have reason to believe and to respect the Scriptures as that competent Provision And now having gone thro' such general Arguments as seem most necessary I come to the Third and last Thing which is III. To shew in particular as briefly as I can How the Scriptures answer this Character with Regard to the several Instances of their Usefulness mention'd in the Text. 1. First St. Paul says The Scripture is profitable for Doctrine by which is commonly understood a Declaration of such Truths as are necessary to be believed The Summ of what is requisite in this Point consistts of a right Information concerning God and our selves What He is and what we are and hope to be What he hath done for our Sakes and How we may reap the Benefit of it in our own Persons and become acceptable in his Sight And of this the Scripture gives a large and clear Account It traces us up to our first Head points to the Rock whence we were hewn describes our Happy and our Healthful State tells when and how our Innocence was lost and sets forth both the Sickness and the Cure It presents us with the leisurely Advances towards it the Personal Revelations to the Patriarchs The Rites and Figures of Moses's Law The clearer Predictions and more refined Precepts of the Prophets and These accommodated to the several Stages of the World and tempered all in such Proportion as the Body diseased gathered Strength to digest them At last when the fulness of Time was come and Matters ripe for the last and most perfect Revelation it shews us the Saviour of the World the Son of God and in Him all those Shadows and rough imperfect Strokes finished and filled up all those Prophecies centring together with marvellous Harmony and Consent To These I might add the significant Providences of God to his People the Jews whereby St. Paul says they became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Patterns and Images of the Christian Age no less than in their Law and Way of Worship I might observe the mighty Care and Art of filling every Book with Significations of the Messiah his Character and his Approach sometimes by Prophecies aiming directly at him sometimes by mix'd and more obscure Intimations and those breakings out of the Spirit from other Subjects and Persons into Expressions too Lofty and Magnificent to be literally and strictly true of any but of Him But which comes nearer Home here we have our Souls raised to higher and juster Notions of God and Goodness we are taught to worship him in Spirit and in Truth a Service most suitable to the Majesty of His Nature and the Dignity of our own We see the Adorable Mystery of the Son of God in Flesh and a Human Body exalted to the Right-Hand of the Majesty on high a Person truly Divine conversing with Men courting them to their Happinesses pressing importuning nay which is most of all Dying for Them that They may live for ever And whatever mysterious and intricate Passages the Scripture may contain for the Exercise shall I say or for the Humiliation of Men Wise in their own Conceits yet These Matters which make the Historical Account of our Redemption are related in Circumstances so natural and yet so moving in Language so easie and so expressive too that the most Scrupulous if a fair and honest Reader may be settled and convinced and the plainest and grossest Understanding may be enlightned and edified by them For whatever Darkness and Mists may now obscure these saving Truths it is not from themselves or their original Ambiguities so much as from the studied Niceties of Subtil and Designing Men Who under Pretence of distinguishing and explaining have rather confounded and rendred them Unintelligible and many times distinguished away even Truth and Piety it self But blessed be God we are not utterly at these Mens Mercies for to our Comfort the Apostle observes 2. Secondly That the Scripture is likewise Profitable for Reproof by which is commonly understood the Confuting of Errors and corrupt Opinions which oppose or impair the Truth * Isai viii 20. Matt. xxii 29. Mar. xii 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu ut alii legunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in Johan Hom. XL. Thus among the Jews the Law and the Testimony was the Touch and Tryal to which all new Pretenders were to be brought Thus our Saviour expresly attributes the Sadduces Error concerning the Resurrection and a Future State to their not knowing the Scriptures And to the same Purpose the Apostle here sends Timothy to the Scriptures as a Defence against those Corrupt and Perillous times foretold in the Beginning of this Chapter The earnest Exhortations of all the Primitive Fathers to be much conversant in these Holy Books Their placing all the Mischief of their Divisions to the Account of neglecting so to do the setting the Two Testaments in the midst of the Ancient and purest Councils as a common Umpire between all contending Parties and infinite Testimonies and Commendations to this purpose shew most evidently that the Written Word was always look'd upon as the Standard of Doctrine and Faith That to which all ought to have recourse to submit to and be finally concluded by Traditionary Articles and Infalible Interpreters had then no place nor was it requisite they ever should For though St. Peter says some Scriptures were wrested to mens own destruction yet he acquaints us withal how they came to be so They were he says the unlearned and unstable that did it Men not well principled and of a restless Temper And if People will come to this Rule with perverse unquiet Minds with a Spirit of Frowardness and Cavil and Contention they may no doubt confound the clearest Things Besides which makes the Objection much less formidable St. Peter says the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Passages hard to be understood were principally concerned in this racking of the Sense And so long as Captious Wits exercise upon These only the Consequence is not so very