Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	work_n	work_v	world_n	344	4	4.3733	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80872	A discourse of spiritual blessings or a discovery I. That every Christian is blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ. In four sermons. II. That God hath a high account of the least grace in the saints. In three sermons. By Mr. John Cromwell, late pastor of a church of Christ in the city of Norwich.	Cromwell, John, 1632 or 3-1685.	1685 (1685)	Wing C7038A; ESTC R228995	89,109	202

Lord doth not proceed according to the observation that you make of yours selves but according to the observation that he makes of you If God can spy a little grace in any heart God will look after that heart It is the least grain that God observes that is the matter of this promise Yet says he shall not the least grain fall upon the Earth In the opening of this observation I shall only give you some few reasons of it and then make some improvement Quest You will say to me then Why or whence is it that such special care is taken of such inconsiderable Christians One whom ministers it may be make nothing of one whom private Christians disregard yet God spys a little grace in him We it may be are ready to think it would be no great matter to lose such a little grain as this no great matter if the Devil should hurry such a one into such sins no great matter if that afflictions sweep away and such a Professour from the Ordinances and from communion fellowship with God in his own appointments But my Friends here is the Case The Lord he observeth what there is within and the Lord doth not act nor carry it either under general or particular judgments according to our observation or sense but according to his own observation and the truth of the thing If there be grace though it be in the least degree if there be grace though under very great disadvantages and under great discouragements yet an all-searching Eye can espy a grain of Corn in a heap of Chaff It may be there is a great deal of Chaff a great deal of vanity a great deal of earthliness which do not commend thee before men but rather discommend thee before God and man but little grace in thy life little in thy prayers little in thy heart little in thy understanding Ay But if God espy a little grace under all this Rubbish a little grain a grain of the least size under all this Heap of Chaff and Rubbish The Lord will take care of this Yet saies he shall not the least grain fall to the ground But whence is all this kindness Ans I shall give you an account of this in these following Propositions Reas 1 A little grace though never so little is distinguishing grace as well as the greatest though never so much When the Lord did at first work the work of grace upon thy heart then he made a personal difference between thee and others and it is not the muchness of thy grace that gives the essential distinction but it is the truth of thy grace that distinguisheth thee from others I will open this in these 2 Branches 1. First The least degree or the least grain of grace is the Issue of Gods eternal distinguishing kindness God from all eternity before the foundations of the world were laid did elect and choose thee to receive such a measure of grace in such a little proportion as well as another in a large measure and in a greater proportion ye are chosen in him says the Apostle 1. Eph. 4. before the Foundation of the World was laid that ye should be Holy God did not only choose those that were inriched with more then ordinary Grace those that are full of the Holy-Ghost were not the only Persons that were in the Eye upon the Heart of God from all Eternity but those that have received though but their measures by scantling These are the Persons that God did from all Eternity design by this little grace to make a personal difference between them and others Let me tell you all the moralists in the World and all the great ones of the World have not so much as this little grace amounts to Thousands and ten thousands of hearts will appear before the Throne and not a grain of grace in them therefore my Friends if so then this must needs be clear that either God must look after this little grace or must lose the resolve of his Eternal Love 2. That this little hath the nature of the whole Jesus Christ compares the Kingdom of Heaven in hearts unto a grain of must and Seed which is the least of all grains Why though it be so little yet there is a prolifick or a seminal vertue and power in that little The least grain of Corn is wheat it hath the Nature of wheat as well as the fullest so the least Christian he that hath the least grace hath the whole nature of Christianity as well as he that hath most who despiseth the day of small things Though you do yet God will not it may be you take little notice and say it is but a little but yet in this little is the nature of the whole If there be true faith though it be little yet here is all the truth of faith in a little faith and there is all the Truth of love the whole nature of love in a little love and there is the whole nature of humility though it be shut up as it were in a little compass if it be so then this little must be and is the care of God because the least grain hath the nature of the whole and so here is the whole nature of grace even in the least grace Therefore says God the house of Israel this perverse this rebelliuos house this is a frothy and chaffy house of Israel yet I will not lose the least grain yet not the least grain shall fall upon the Earth 3. That the least grace is under designments of grace as well as the greatest Nay let me tell you Sirs There are many Christians that have most at first considering the proportion there are on the other hand many Christians who have least at first and yet afterwards do attain to a great deal more then those that had most at first God doth not always do as we do or as man doth Many times to him that hath most at first there is many times most given afterwards but God doth not always do so but he gives sometimes the greatest encrease an encrease like the encreases of God even unto those in whom at first he did Create but little One could hardly perceive the flax smoaking the other day and now it is all on a flame and take another Christian as soon as ever the fire is put into the flax the flax fell all into a smoak There was a great appearance a great heat at first but take him three or four or five years after behold a damp again the man had great incomes at first but afterwards there was as great an abatement he that had least now hath most so that I say considering the greatness of the designment the unlimited designment that relate to those that have little may give a reason why the Lord will look after the least grace why special grace will be charged with the preservation security of the