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_v	world_n	worldly_a	24	3	7.5844	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31037	The Christian temper, or, A discourse concerning the nature and properties of the graces of sanctification written for help in self-examination and holy living / by John Barret ...	Barret, John, 1631-1713.	1678 (1678)	Wing B907; ESTC R20482	253,096	440

such conditions but his Grace worketh by means and a conditional Promise is his stablished means to draw Mans Heart to the performance of the Condition which well considered is a sufficient answer to the Arguments that are commonly urged against the conditionality of the Promises As the Spirit worketh powerfully within so he useth that word from without Direct to sound Convers p. 289 290. as his Instrument which worketh sapientially and powerfully to the same work And the like observation we may take concerning the Threatnings in the Word Therein ordinarily some such evil as we naturally abhor and dread is threatned either to excite us to our duty which our corrupt hearts and natures are exceeding backward to or to deter us from Sin to which we are naturally prone and strongly inclined Now to apply these things to the point in hand The Believer is made sensible what a Sinner he has been and what woe and wrath is due to Sin and Sinners that indeed he has deserved Hell for his Portion yet withal he believes according to the Word that God is in Christ reconciling Sinners unto himself that he so loved the World as to give his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have Everlasting Life that Jesus Christ is the only and an all-sufficient Saviour that he is willing as well as able to save those that come to God by him But withal that there is no coming to him only as a Saviour so as to find welcome but he must come to him also as a Leader and Commander resolving sincerely to obey and follow him that without taking his Yoak upon us we cannot find rest for our Souls To these things a Believer cannot but subscribe These things are set home and kept close to his Heart and such Truths as these being mixed with Faith firmly assented to they work effectually Thus he deliberately makes choice of Christ as the only meet help for his Soul in all the World Now go to Hypocrites and Unbelievers and it appears they have but some faint and weak Assent to the foresaid Truths Did they really believe Heaven and Hell and that without an interest in Christ there is no hope of Heaven but to Hell they must go all the World cannot save them how is it possible they should make so light of Christ as they do preferring a momentary pleasure or a little worldly pelf before him which a true Believer accounts but dung and trash If you tell a Man there is a Lyon in the way behind him with open mouth ready to devour him and he flees not as for his Life does it not plainly shew that he believes not what you say So that Sinners do not flee to Christ it shews they do not believe their misery and danger out of Christ Or if sometimes they have strong Convictions that startle and terrify them they have Arts and Devices to put them off They will not suffer them to stay Their corrupt Wills and Affections call off their thoughts from such things as most nearly concern them As we read Mat. 13.15 Their Eyes they have closed lest at any time they should see with their Eyes and hear with their Ears and should understand with their Heart and should be converted and I should heal them Their Eyes they have closed Thus poor Sinners wink hard shut the Windows to keep out the Light that they may still sleep on in Sin Or when they can be no longer quiet as they are then they bribe their Consciences and deceive themselves with a seeming Faith a seeming Conversion a seeming Reformation which they take up with as sufficient as poor Laodicea thought her self rich Thus by one means or other they are kept off from a serious and deliberate closing with the Lord Jesus But then come to a sound Believer and he is as sure that the Word of God will prove true as that there is a God which is as sure as that there are any Creatures in the World and so that Heaven and Hell are not Fancies which have a being only in Mens imaginations but unquestionable realities that all Miseries and Sufferings in this life are case and pleasure compared with the Torments of Hell and Miseries of the Damned and all the Pleasures and enjoyments of this Life but pain and loss compared with the Joys of Heaven that if ever he be saved he must be saved by Christ and that he cannot hope to be saved by Christ but in his own way Thus he sees it unquestionably his grand concern to accept of Christ as he is offered And such Truths being set home by the Spirit with Power and Evidence they have a mighty force to pull down strong-holds and carnal reasonings in the Heart against them to bring into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Christ And thus the Will and Affections are wrought upon And what sorrow then See Dr. Preston of Effectual Faith p. 204. to think of ones former natural and sinful State and what Fear O what will become of me if I get not a Part and Interest in Christ If I fall short of Heaven at last then where am I how miserable shall I be to Eternity And what vehement desire after Christ Give me Christ or I die And what resolution in the Will I will go to Christ and give up my self to him and cast my self upon him If I perish I perish Lord whither should I go Thou hast the words of Eternal Life Thus a Believer consents and closeth with Christ deliberately upon clear conviction that he has no other way to take 3. A true Believer consents unfeignedly and heartily True Faith is Faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 A Sound Believer does not take up with a profession of Faith in Christ and of subjection to him does not think it enough to say Lord Lord to speak honourably of him but hath his heart opened to receive the King of Glory The Lord Jesus Christ is his desire and choice indeed And as he had rather have Christ alone for his Portion than the whole World without him so he had rather be subject to the Laws of Christ than freed from them Though the Flesh is still lusting in him against the Spirit and the Law in his Members rebelling against the Law of his Mind yet he can truly say his Will is more to Christ and to his Service than to please and gratify the Flesh and to serve Sin And he repents not of any thing he does for Christ but is grieved and ashamed that he does no more and that what he hath done has been done in no better manner but he heartily repents of his serving Sin heretofore and of what he hath done displeasing unto Christ And in the ordinary habitual and prevailing bent of his will he is for taking part with Christ and his Laws against the lustings of the Flesh against the motions and workings of remaining corruption in him He is so

Light it argues unsoundness But he that doth truth cometh to the Light Joh. 3.20 21. To do Truth and to walk in Truth is as much as to walk with an upright heart 2 King 20.3 And such as are for walking in Truth are for coming to the Light for knowing the Truth the Will and Word of God the rule they are to walk by Mic. 2.7 Do not my Words do good to him that walks Vprightly Annon placebunt verba mea as some Will not my words please him Yea indeed it will do much good it will please them well to hear from God to know more of his mind He that hath ears to hear let him hear We have that expression often All have not ears to hear as the Upright have But where the Lord has a mouth to speak the upright Man has an ear to hear He will say still Speak Lord thy Servant heareth The Upright heart is that good and honest heart Luk. 8.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad verbum pulchro bono quod non modo bonum videri sed esse studet Brugens in Pol. Synops which is both ready to receive and careful to keep the Word The Sincere Milk of the Word will readily down and agree well with Sincere hearts Upright words words of truth will be very acceptable Eccl. 12.10 to true upright hearts False deceitful and unsound hearts are willingly ignorant and willing to be deceived in many points But a plain honest heart would pray as the Psalmist Psal 119.29 Remove from me the way of lying and grant me thy Law graciously And as it is in Job what I see not teach thou me When such come to the Word they can say with Cornelius Act. 10.33 Now are we here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God They would entertain every Divine Truth welcom every Word of God They would chuse the way of truth when discovered how cross soever to their worldly interests or to their former apprehensions and opinions As Psal 119.30 I have chosen the way of Truth And v. 162. I rejoyce at thy Word as one that findeth great Spoil As the Truth and Will of God was further revealed to him he was very much joyed as one that had got a rich prize And thus an Vpright heart and a corrupt mind will not dwell together That the Upright Man has a will and desire to know the whole Counsel of God so far as is his concern and duty this is a special preservative from undoing errors and mistakes in Religion Psal 37.31 The Law of his God is in his heart none of his steps shall slide Pro. 11.3 The Integrity of the Upright shall guide them And v. 5. The Righteousness of the Perfect shall direct his way Pro. 13.6 Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way Prov. 21.29 As for the upright he directeth his way If he has been drawn into error into by paths he does not harden his face as resolved to persist in his course but looks about him considers and so comes to understand his errour and to see the right way which his heart is for walking in 3. The Upright Man is willing to be searched is for self-searching Truth seeks no corners though it may sometimes be driven into corners Such as deal with deceitful Wares will keep their Shops dark or use false-lights but if you mean honestly and your Commodities be right you are not unwilling to bring them into the light And he that will neither deceive others nor be deceived himself certainly that Man is not in a way of studied Hypocrisie See how the Man after God's heart prayeth Psal 139.23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts And see if there be any wicked way in me The meaning may be that he would have God to discover him more fully to himself as well as clear up his integrity to others God's searching and trying Men is not for his own information but to make them known to themselves or others The Psalmist was so willing to have his heart searched that he prayes earnestly for it Search me O God and try me c. And this is an hopeful sign of Sincerity if thou art for strict and serious Self-examination and much in it As a godly Minister told me a little before his death That it was some stay to him then that he had loved uses of Examination that it was very pleasing to him to read or hear that part of the Application of the Word soundly prosecuted Hypocrites are for enquiring into others for a narrow observing and censuring of others rather than for searching and examining themselves Hypocrites use to be quick-sighted abroad but have no mind to look home love to be great strangers at home As decayed Tradesmen broken Chapmen have no delight to look into their Books of Accounts so Hypocrites those deceitful Chapmen care not for looking into the Books of their own Consciences 4. A sound upright Heart will approve of sound and wholesome admonition and reproof To take reproof well as it is a sign of an humble Self-denying spirit so of an upright heart And one that desires to walk uprightly will be glad to be told of it when he has stepped awry or turned out of the way Let the Righteous smite him it shall be a kindness Psal 141.5 If sound and wholsome Admonition will not down with us it would shew our hearts unsound An upright heart would not hate him that reproveth would not abhor him that speaketh uprightly They were Lying Children which said to the Prophets Prophesy not unto us right things speak unto us smooth things prophesy Deceits Isa 30.9 10. The upright heart is for right things whilst the unsound heart is more for pleasing Deceits And the Hypocrite can worst of all endure to hear any thing against his beloved Bosom-sin As Herod could not bear it when John told him of his Herodias Mat. 14.3 4 5. 5. The upright Heart is not for hiding Sin but for a plain and hearty confession of it The word translated Perfect mark the perfect Man signifies Plain or Simple Perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Upright The perfect upright Man is a plain Man As Jacob was a plain Man Gen. 25.27 it is the same word He hath not those cunning shifts as others use Simplex sine plicis He cannot fold and wrap up an evil Matter as others will do As Job an upright Man had not the art to keep his Sins close Job 31.33 If I had covered my Transgressions as Adam or after the manner of Men by hiding mine Iniquity in my bosome The plain Heart knows not how to cover Sin The upright Man is one in whose spirit is no guile Psal 32.2 He has no will to dissemble or conceal his Sins or to excuse or extenuate them Some think the Psalmist looks especially to that plainness freeness open-heartedness in Confession whereunto