Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A28894
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A looking-glass discovering to all people what image they bear by which the true Jew is known from the false, and the Christian in nature from him that is so in name only ... : with directions for such as live in error, how they may leave their error, how they may leave their error ... : with a few words to informers who make it their work to inform against their neighbours for meeting together peaceably in the fear of the Lord ... / by a follower of Him, Edward Bourne.
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Bourne, Edward, d. 1708.
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1671
(1671)
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Wing B3847; ESTC R28496
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17,816
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28
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A Looking-Glass Discovering to all People what IMAGE they BEAR By which the True Jew is known from the false and the Christian in nature from him that is so in name only Likewise all people in some measure may know what spirit they are of and whether they are the Children of God or of the Devil With directions for such as live in Error how they may leave their Error and know the Truth which leads out of Error by which People are made free from sin which they run into and live in by following the spirit of Error With a few words to Informers who make it their work to Inform against their Neighbours for meeting together peaceably in the fear of the Lord to Worship him as he requires By a Follower of him who saith if you continue in my Word then are you my Disciples indeed And ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free John 8.31 32. Edward Bourne Printed in the Year 1671. A Looking-Glass FOR All People to See Themselves whether they be what they ought to be and do as they ought to do or otherwise ALthough much hath been Written and Spoken to turn Peoples minds to the Light of Christ in them to the end that all may do what they ought in all things and be what they ought towards God yet but few have received the Report thereof though by obeying this Light which is that which leads to keep a Conscience void of offence towards God and Men true happiness is attained unto and contrariwise the neglect hereof is the cause of Peoples ruin and Eternal Misery But notwitstanding whether People will hear or forbear I know none on whom such a Work as this is laid by the Lord God can neglect the same but we must be Transgressors our selves in this respect And therefore to keep my Conscience pure towards God I thus proceed You that live in sin you know you should not live so and that which gives you this knowledg is the Grace of God which hath appeared unto you by which as in a Glass you may see your selves by which the Drunkard Tit. 2.11 12. sees he should not be Drunk and the Lyer he should not lie and the Envious Man he should not live in Envy and he that Persecutes his Neighbour whose Works are better then his and for that cause all these are doing what they should not do as they themselves many of them in their Prayers to God do confess And these though they do that which they know they should not do and leave undone that which they know they should not leave undone yet would they have the Lord to have Mercy on them although their daily practice is thus to Transgress They acknowledge they have Transgressed against Gods Holy Law and too much followed the Devices and desires of their own hearts c. And this is their manner from the beginning of the year to the end thereof But Mark you that are such can you believe that God will shew Mercy to you onely on this your Confession Are you so foolish and unwise as so to believe If you do certainly you will find it otherwise in the end Then your folly will appear though at the present you may account your selves wise and understanding and them foolish who are truely wise But I must tell you to be truely wise is to fear the Lord and to keep his Commandments though you may not account it so Object But some may say What are the Commandments of God that we are to keep Answ These Thou shalt love the Lord God with all thy heart Deu. 10.1 Luke 10.27 28. and thy Neighbour as thy self and whatsoever thou seest by the grace of God that hath appeared to thee thou oughtest to do it and it will be thy Transgression to neglect the same therefore do not deceive your selves with such a perswasion any longer if you do you will shew much folly and indiscretion therein for God will not be mocked with such lip Service This I am bold in the fear of God to assure you of you may draw neer him with your Lip 's but your Hearts are far from him whilst it is onely thus You must not onely confess your faults to God but must also forsake them if Mercy with him you would find And this is the Word of God unto you Let the Wicked Man forsake his way and the unrighteous Man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have Mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly Pardon him Isa 55.7 You pray that God would deliver you from all Envy and Malice and from all uncharitableness and from all the works of the Devil But if you were delivered from all these abominations happy would you be then God who delivereth his People from all these would be your God But your Teachers many of them are Envious themselves and uncharitable themselves c. Therefore it may be you are the more imboldened to commit all these Abominations But if you and your Teachers would take heed to the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation that thereby you may be guided you would know the Lord God to be your Teacher who teacheth his People to profit and so be delivered from all these Abominations and all the works of the Devil and then we should not suffer by you as we do for the Truth being your Guide and Teacher you will give us the same liberty to Worship God that you would have your selves and so do as you would be done by in this and in all things and so hereby you will do what you ought to do and be what you ought to be towards God and not before viz. you cannot do nor be as you ought till you be guided by the Truth which leads to meekness and lowlyness by which God will direct you in all your wayes then shall you be far from oppression and violence and spoil will be as it may be said banished from your Habitations that spirit which leads to unrighteousness not being harkened unto but the Voice of the Lord God obeyed and his Councel stood in Object But some may say you direct us to the Light within that by taking heed unto it we may forsake that which God requires us to forsake and do what we ought to do that so we may be what we ought to be towards him You also will acknowledge that that which mâ—â—es to unrighteousness and unholiness is within And seeing that it is so that both these are within how shall they be known and distinguished the one from the other How shall that be rejected and forsaken that ought so to be And that followed and obeyed that ought to be followed and obeyed Especially because that Principle which leads to unrighteousness sometimes appeares like that which moves unto Righteousness How shall we distinguish between the one and the other and follow that which we ought to follow and
not run and the Lord never sent them who are so contrary to the Ministers of Righteousness They would have money for Bread and Wine at Easter so called which they call the Sacrament although the People never receive it But whether it be Equal and Just in them to desire Money from People for nought Let they that shall read this consider did not the Apostle and Servant of the Lord say That they did not eat any Mans Bread for nought And they would not make the Gospel chargable c I would know wherein these are followers of those who would have others to follow them as they followed Christ For my part I do not know wherein in one particular But they may be said to be followers of them who were contrary to Christ Jesus in many particulars They take and give that which they call the Lords Supper before and after Dinner and so do contrary to the Institution therein For Christ took the Cup after Supper and Blessed it and gave to his Disciples as you may see Luke 22 20. And though we cannot touch nor taste nor handle with them in those things which are to perish in the using after the Doctrines and Traditions of Men yet the Supper of the Lord we own and do witness the Substance of what was figured forth thereby Glory be given to him who is Holy and lives for evermore These and their followers who are taught by them say 't is true we ought not to Sin but to strive against it But we shall never be delivered from Sin while we are in this Life c. Now what hopes is there for People to overcome the Enemy of their Souls if the case stands thus If They do not follow such Teachers they can be but the Devils Captives and if they do so they must so continue it seems For he that lives in Sin serves the Devil and so is his Captive For so they must continue it seems while they be here and that is so long as they can be followed then sure they cannot be the servants of Righteousness whilst they obey the spirit of Unrighteousness The promise of that life that is Eternal is to him that overcomes and not to him that doth not He that is made a Conqueror and more through Christ he overcomes But how will any prevail while they follow such as say it can never be in this Life Was it not in this Life the Apostles were made more then Conquerours through Christ This I would know see Rom. 8.37 You that follow such Teachers did not your god-fathers and god-mothers so called promise and vow for you in Baptism that when you came to Age you should forsake the Devil and all his Works c And what do your Teachers tell you now the contrary saying It can never be in this Life but you must alwayes live in Sin till you come to your Graves Now Sin is the Work of the Devil and if People must always when they be here live in Sin then How can it be said it being so that they have forsaken the Devil and all his Works Consider what confusion is here and be awakened unto Righteousness that fruit may be brought forth by you unto God who will not be mocked with your Lip-service in calling Christ Lord and yet doing contrary to what he Commands who said to his Disciples Be Perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is Perfect So to draw neer to God with your Lips will not serve your turn or make you acceptable unto him But you must draw neer with your Hearts also and do well and as you ought or else all your good sayings will be in vain and to no purpose The Apostle James said So say and So do see Jam. 2.12 And Christ saith Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord that shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven But he that doth the will of my Father c. Therefore see to it you that shall come to read these lines I charge you in the presence of the Lord that you be found doing his Holy Will that you may bring forth fruit unto him lest he cut you down as fruitless Trees and cast ye into the fire So these things before mentioned being considered it will appear that it is not erronious to hold that a freedom from Sin is to be attained unto here in this Life but that it is erronious and Devilish to Teach and Hold the contrary And if it be erronious to hold that we should live without Sin then it was erronious in our god-fathers and god-mothers so called to promise and vow on our behalfs that when we came to Age we should forsake the Devil and all his Works c. Which if we do certainly we must cease from Sin and not live any longer therein for while Sin is lived in the Devil and all his Works cannot be said to be forsaken because Sin is the Work of the Devil which Christ came to destroy and so it is those who can truely and properly call Christ their Saviour who witnesseth that he hath saved them from their Sins which is the cause of the wrath and displeasure of the Almighty so the true Followers of Christ the true Disciples of Christ they know and can declare it to the praise and honour of the most high God that it is Jesus who hath saved them from the wrath to come see 1 Thes 1.10 So who would be as they ought to be and do as they ought to do must abstain from every thing which the holy Light of Christ in them makes appear in them to be evil and follow this good and holy Light only that by it they may be led into all truth by which the God of truth is known and come to which who comes to must believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him and they who do refuse to be guided by the Light of Jesus Christ in them which is that which God hath appointed all People to be guided by it is them that do otherwise then they ought to do and be not what God requires them to be such were those the Apostle James spake of forgetful hearers of the Word who neglected to do it Jam. 1.23 24. whom he compared to a natural man who beholds his face in a Glass and straitway forgets what manner of man he is so what is the difference between such as refuse to hear the voice of truth that they may do it and those who are forgetful hearers who are negligent in doing according to the Word that they have heard this I shall leave to such as shall read these lines to give righteous judgment therein Now it is to be considered what it is to be a True Jew ABraham was a true Jew and all his Posterity they were and are called Jewes but all were not true Jewes nor are so who came of the Loyns of Abraham but those who were