Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	word_n	world_n	year_n	369	4	4.3593	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87104	Thankfulness in grain: or a good life the best return. Delivered in another sermon on the same occasion in St. Dionis, Back-Church, Aug. 14. 1653. By Nath. Hardy, Master of Arts, and preacher to that parish.	Hardy, Nathaniel, 1618-1670.	1653 (1653)	Wing H749; Thomason E723_6; ESTC R12852; ESTC R207247	54,568	58

Saviour expresseth when he calleth upon his Disciples and in them all Christians to let their light shine before men to wit the light of grace within shine in the actions of their lives without that men seeing their good works might glorify their Father which is in heaven a good heart delighteth God but it a good life honoureth him It is the fruitfulnes of the vineyard which credits the husbandman when we bring forth much fruit then is our Father glorified 2. It is our walking that edifyeth others It is not fire in the embers but fire that flameth forth which warmeth it is not grace in the heart but in the life that profiteth if the believing husband would gain the unbelieving wife or wife the husband S. Pauls advise is so let him walk if we would be exemplary to others it must be in walking before others it is not our inward disposition but our outward conversation which hath an influence on them with whom we converse 3. It is our walking that in some sense justifieth our selves Nothing so truly speaketh a man as his conversation a man is not alwayes what he seemeth or saith but he is what he doth 1. This justifieth the reality of our inward disposition to man God indeed judgeth the actions by the affections but men judge of our affections by our actions Show me thy faith saith Saint James by thy works so say men show us your faith your love by your works Every tree is known by its fruits saith our blessed Saviour by what we do men know what we are 2. Yea this justifieth the truth of our good affections in themselves Indeed an heart enlarged will not onely walk but run the way of Gods Commandements and therefore saith S. Gregory where love is present there will be a proportionable acting and if there be a refusing to act it argueth love to be absent The truth is love is neither idle nor weary it is willing to walk and the walk seemeth easy so much S. John expresseth when he saith this is the love of God that we keep his Commandements and his Commandements are not grievous 3. Nay yet once more this justifieth the sincerity of our intentions in the sight of God They are Christs express words If any man love me he will keep my commandements onely the obedient is an acceptable lover in Christs account yea his Judiciall proceeding at the last day will not be according to what is within but what is without nor will God onely or so much enquire at that day what thy thoughts or thy desires have been as what thy actions have been Let none therefore flatter themselves in their good meanings devout affections pious intentions whilest yet their lives are barren and fruitless as men do not gather grapes of thornes nor figs of thistles so neither can thorns be gathered from grapes nor thistles from figs and as we cannot expect a clean thing from an unclean so neither an unclean thing from a clean It is a meere delusion to think that an holy heart can consist with a prophane life nay to allude to Saint Johns expression if any may say he love God and walketh not before him he is a lyar Since his practise giveth the lye to his pros●ssion and the dissonancie of his life proclaimeth a no to what he saith with his lips And therefore let us all think we heare Christ speaking to us as he did to his Spouse Let me see thy countenance to wit in good works so the Chaldoes Paraphrase as well as heare thy voyce and again Set me as a seal upon thy heart as a signet upon thy arm not onely upon thy heart by a pious affection but on thy arm by a religious conversation this is that which David here purposed when he saith I will walk 2. The Conjugation is no less Observable than the verb as giving to it the signification of a frequentative hence the same word is rendred elswhere a going on and here by Vatablus continenter ambulabo I will continually walk so that we have hereby some thing further expressed concerning the matter of Davids resolve namely a progressive constancy in a religious conversation That you may discern what plain footing this truth hath in this Scripture be pleased to trace it in these three steps 1. The Metaphor it self of walking intimateth so much To walk is not to take a step or two in a path but to continue going till we come to our journeys end nor is it only a continued but a progressive motion every step a man taketh he gaineth more ground and is so much neerer the term of his motion 2. The conjugation carieth in it an addition to the verbe walking implieth a repetition of steps and this a frequency of walking indeed the most proper signification of it is reciprocall but sometimes it is frequentative and in this verbe it is most suitably so to be construed assiduè continuò ambulare to walk on daily and constantly 3. The meaning of those words in the land of the living may be understood in the same sense with those at the second verse as long as I live and so they confirm this truth Davids purpose is to serve God not only for a day or a year but always during the whole time of his abode in this world This then is the pattern here set before us as not to be good onely within but without so not onely to be good but better yea to hold fast our goodnes to the end Indeed as the moralist saith una actio non denominat it is not one action that denominateth a man either vertuous or vitious no man so evill but may do some good nor so good but may do some evill on the one hand we find Cain sacrificing Saul Prophecying Jezabel fasting Ahab humbling and the Pharisees praying on the other hand we may observe a Noah overtaken with wine a Lot committing Incest a David falling into adultery and a Peter guilty of perjury It is not then particular acts but the generall course of the life by which we must judge either our selves or others Apposite to this purpose is Saint Basils note on these words of the Psalmist he that walketh uprightly It is not he that hath walked but he that doth walk for one action doth not speak a man good but his frequent practice Indeed this is that which differenceth a godly from a wicked man the wicked man like the thief may sometimes cross the Kings high way but still his walk is in by-paths the godly man may sometimes be drawn aside into a by-path but still Religion is his road and therefore if thou wouldst passe a right censure observe these two things the constant bent of thy heart and course of thy life ask thy self what is my love whither tends my walk and accordingly judge righteous judgment And as this must be the rule of thy censure so

words of obedient resolution According to the former the Psalmist promiseth somewhat to himself from God according to the latter he promiseth somewhat of himself to God Both these constructions are probable and profitable so that I shall omit neither but yet having already drunk deep to you in the cup of Gods salvation I shall now onely give you a tast of that and hasten to take the other Cup into my hand to wit of gratulation and as I shall desire to begin my self so I hope you will all pledge me that so this saving health may go round every one of us resolving some for health continued others for health restored in the Psalmists words I will walk c. Begin we then with that sense which represents the words as a confident expectation of future preservation I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living Amplificat beneficium ab effectu liberationis saith a judicious expositor the benefit of deliverance mentioned in the former is amplified in this verse from the effect he hoped would follow upon it that having escaped so great danger his days on earth should now be prolonged So that in the words thus interpreted there are these two things observable the matter and the ground of his hope in that he looketh forward to what is to come in this backward to what was past that which he hopeth for is to walk before the Lord in the land of the living that whence this hope did arise was a singular deliverance already vouchfed from death teares and falling and of each of these with all possible brevity and perspicuity That which the Psalmist here promiseth to himself is double to wit walking in the land of the living and that before the Lord and so his hope appeareth to be both of a longer and a comfortable life 1. I shall walk in land of the living It is generally acknowledged by interpreters that this present world is here called the land of the living and it is so phrased in opposition to the grave which is the land of dead carkasses Silence oblivion darkness death and corruption are the dolefull attendants on those subterraneous parts but this earth is the land of commerce and light and life From this land of the living the Messiah is said to be cut off and in this it is that here David saith he should walk Walking is a continued progressive motion wherein step is added to step and so fitly resembleth prolongation of life wherein dayes are added to dayes The confidence David had of this is that which here he mentioneth with joy thereby intimating what esteem and account he had of this life to wit as a blessing to be hoped for and rejoyced in This will the more appear if we observe how earnestly when in danger he deprecateth death So in this Psalme Oh Lord I beseech thee deliver my soule and in another Psalme Oh my God take me not away in the midst of my dayes and againe Return O Lord deliver my soul oh save me for thy mercies sake all which plainly insinuate how pretious life was in his sight The like temper is observable in Hezechiah to whom when the message of death came it fetched tears from his eyes sighes from his heart and prayers from his lips nor was he less joyfull at the reversing than mournful upon the denouncing of the sentence witness the writing he pend upon his recovery Nor is this onely an old Testament spirit consult the practice of Christians under the new Testament and you shall finde them looking upon life and death with the same aspect witness S. Paul who speaketh of deliverance from death as a thing which he did trust and hope for and to that end desireth the concurrence of the Corinthians prayers Saint Peter concerning whose death Christ foretelling saith another should lead him whither he would not thereby signifying how unwelcome death would be to him What speak I of Saints when our Lord himself prayeth in the Garden Let this Cup pass and before that Father save me from this houre The truth is desire of life is naturall to all men and though grace do moderate yet it doth not extinguish naturall desire in good men Besides life saith the Philosopher is in its own nature good and being good in it self must needs be so to a good man yea to him most good and therefore most desirable It is a Meditation which seemeth to check the folly of those men who fancy a kinde of perfection in wishing hoping and praying for an untimely death and a speedy dissolution That this is but a dream will the better appear if you consider that 1. In some persons this is an argument of wickednes when men either through discontent at their present condition or impatiency under affliction or dispair of Gods mercy wish themselves cut off from the land of the living such desires are so far from manifesting strength of grace that they argue corruption to be prevayling To such persons that is very sutable which Chremes said to his son Clitipho who being cross'd in his desire would needs dye disce prius vivere let them first learn to live ere they desire to dy 2. In the best of Gods Saints it is many times an argument of weakness as being an act of passion and frowardnes such was Jobs expostulation when he saith wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life to the bitter in soule And Jonahs prayer now O Lord I beseech thee take my life from me nor are those good men to be commended but condemned for those passions 3. Those desires which are the fruits of strong grace and argue full assurance of Gods love are 1. Not so much of death as of that bliss which attendeth upon it indeed Saint Paul saith of himself he had a desire to depart but he presently addeth and to be with Christ the dissolution of his person departure of his soul from his body was not could not be gratefull to him in it self but onely in order to that intimate union of his soul with Christ and yet more plainly when he speaketh of himself and his fellow Saints he expresseth it negatively as well as affirmatively not for that we would be unclothed but clothed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life hence it is that these praeceding words in this we groan earnestly are by some expounded because of this to wit the dissolving of our earthly tabernacle we groane as being contrary to nature though we desire to be clothed upon wih our house which is from heaven this being suitable to grace The truth is it is not this death but the other life which a godly man wisheth for or if he may be said to desire death it is not because his will chooseth but necessit enforceth it Thus the case stands that eternall life cannot be enjoyed till death he passed thorough nor can the