Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	light_a	light_n	shine_v	1,940	5	9.1283	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61692	A short discovery of certain truths of God according as they are revealed through the manifestation of the eternal light of the Son of righteousnesse, which are, a reply against two things in an epistle, and, an answer to certain queries contained in a book, intituled Christian queries, to quaking Christians, subscribed by one J.B. : also queries propounded, to be answered by the authour of the same book, or any other / by John Story.	Story, John, d. 1681.	1664 (1664)	Wing S5753; ESTC R4917	25,813	34

A Short DISCOVERY Of certain TRUTHS of GOD According as they are revealed through the manifestation of the eternal light of the Son of Righteousnesse Which are A Reply against two things in an Epistle And An Answer to ce●tain Queries contained in a Book Intituled Christian Queries to Quaking Christians Subscribed by one J. B. Also Queries propounded to be answered by the Authour of the same Book or any other By JOHN STORY But sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready alwaies to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknesse and fear 1 Pet. 3. 15. Printed in the year 1664. A Pamphlet or little book being come to my hands intituled Christian Queries to Quaking Christians c. By one who subscribes himself I. B. with an Epistle to the Reader from one who subscribes himself I. A. And I having duly weighed and seriously considered both the Epistle and the Queries I return this following Reply against two things in the Epistle with an Answer to the Queries First to the Epistle in the Frontispiece of which I. A. saith Go little book improve thy Scripture skill Advance the truth and throw down all self-will Reply IT is not in the power of that little book or any other writing how holy or good soever they may be in themselves either to advance the truth or beat down the self-will haughty pride of man farther then they are accompanied with the living word Spirit and power of the Lord God therefore may I say much more it is not in the power of that little Book either to throw down self-will in any in whom it is not yet subdued or to exalt the truth in general because its only queries gathered by the Authour from the Letter of the Scriptures without and no message of heavenly prophesy doctrine or exhortation received by the Authour from the Lord through the divine inspiration of his light and Spirit within whose light Spirit and power operating in the hearts of men is that only means which becomes effectual to accomplish the things before mentioned viz. the laying low the pride of all flesh and the exaltation of the name and t●uth of God in the world Therefore may I say it 's a very vain and idolatrous exhortation which I. A. hath given to I. B. his little book And I. A. further saith Let light without be guide to light within Reply If by this exhortation I. A. means that light without should guide the true light which shines in the hearts of Saints which I cannot but gather from the forementioned words then I must needs say 't is a very absurd and foolish exhortation and being spoken upon a divine account it is very full of idolatry and evil and greatly contrary to the Gospel and exhortation of Gods Embassadours to the Saints upon earth which was that they should abide in the light or anointing that was in them 1 John 2. 27. And the Apostle preferreth the light that God hath caused to shine into their hearts so far beyond any perishing thing or light without that he exalts it as that excellent means by which he the Saints received the knowledge unto everlasting life 2 Cor. 4. 6. Where he saith God who commanded light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ Many more testimonies proving the same truth might be instanced And though the holy Scriptures without and the Saints practises are as lights in the world yet far be it from all true Christian men so to idolize them as to set them in esteem above the light which is sufficient to guide or to esteem them equal with the light and Spirit of Christ within from which the Scriptures were given forth which are but branches of that holy ●oot and as it were fruits of that heavenly tree viz. the appearance of God in the hearts of his people If I. A. had bid people mind the doctrines and exhortations of the holy Scripture which testifies of and exhorts to Christ the true and never erring light in the hearts of his followers he had done better But what I have already in love said I shall leave to his more serious and better consideration 1. Query How and by what means may salvation be attained whether by adhering to light within us or by faith in Christ without us 1 if the later be not the best way why is it that the Scriptures do so often bid us to believe in Jesus Christ and that by so doing we may be saved 3 Joh. 15 16. Acts 16. 30 31. 2 or if the former be the better way if so I would then ask farther Answ Salvation is to be obtained through believing and walking in the obedience unto Christ Jesus who is that only true and saving light which lighteth every man that comes into the world Iohn 1. 9. And all mankind who cometh out of that night of darknesse which hath overshadowed the whole world and from under the cloud of errour that hath covered all the inhabitants of the earth must both believe receive and walk in the light of the Lamb Rev. 21. 24. which is the best and most excellent way though we must confesse as Jesus the true light of the world is God blessed forever our vessels are not able to contain him because his presence is infinite and fills heaven and earth and as he is thus infinite in himself we must confesse that he is as real without us as within us yet the true knowledge and faith which we with all the Saints have in Christ unto our salvation is not of him at a distance without us but even in him as he is near at hand by his light and spirit revealed within us according to what the Apostle saith Rom. 1. 19. That which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them And Col. 1. 27. the Apostle saith To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery amongst the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of glory Therefore I say the hope which we with all true Christ●ans have whereby we may attain heaven where all felicity and happinesse is enjoyed for ever is not by any knowledge of Christ at a distance without us but as he is inwardly revealed by his light and Spirit in our hearts and they who thus know him have and do experience the virtue of his precious bloud which was shed for many to wash away their sin and to purge them from all their transgressions And this is that knowledge which a man may have and not dye for the soul that hath it lives to God in this world and shall reign with Christ to all eternity in the world to come And because this is the best and most excellent way for Christians both to believe

swearing which was fully forbidden in the law of God before but he positively excludes all manner of swearing in the dayes of the Gospel and likewise the Apostle saith James 5. 12. Above all things my brethren swear not neither by Heaven neither by the Earth neither by any other oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay least you fall into condemnation which two testimonies are sufficient to confirme the truth unto all true Christian men that it is in no wise lawfull for them to swear in any case Many more testimonies might be instanced out of the Ecclesiastical histories of the ancient Christians some of whome holding it in no wise lawfull for Christian men to swear suffered death for the profession of Christ a Acts Monuments Vol. 2. fol. 55. Policarpus who as 't is said was John's Disciple b Euseb lib. 6. cap. 4. pag. 98. Basilides a Christian Martyr and the Waldenses whose names are so famous among the reformed Churches and are said immediately to succeed the Apostles being the most ancient and true Protestants professed it to be no way lawfull for a Christian man to swear and the c Acts Monnuments Vol. 1. fol. 527. Plow-man in his prayer and Chrisostome who was Bishop of Constantinople blameth them greatly that brought forth a book to swear upon charging Clarks that in no wise they constrain any body to swear whether they think a man swear true or false saying d Acts Monuments Vol. 2 70. it is a sin to swear well And these forementioned testimonies with many others which might be instanced out of Ecclesiastical histories were given against swearing and though the Apostle saith Heb. 6. 16. That an oath for confirmation amongst men is to them an end of strife yet this doth in no wise justifie or prove swearing lawfull amongst Christians for he speaks that by way of allusion as being the strongest bond in the old time in which the promise was made whereby men could bind themselves to set forth unto believers the certainty of Gods promise being confirmed by such a strong bond as an oath was among men in the old time when the promise was made to Abraham and his seed after him and as for the Apostles saying an oath among men is to them an end of strife I say that did rather allude or relate to what was at any time done for the ending of strife amongst those Hebrews who had not received the Gospel then that any such thing was done or practised amongst those believers to whom he writ his Epistle For if he had instanced any such practice amongst them he should not have said an oath amongst men but an oath amongst you c. Which he did not 13. Query Whether it be not the great duty and concernment of every Christian to plead for and vindicate all such Gospel truths as he hath formerly received and yet believeth and 1. whether a Christian may not earnestly contend for the truth once delivered Jude 3. 2. whether it be not the duty of all Christians with readinss to render an account of his faith to him that asketh him 1 Pet. 3. 15. And 3. whether it be not your concernment to return some satisfactory answer to the Author of these Queries Answ It is a duty of concernment to every child of God both to plead for and vindicate the truth the knowledge of which he hath received of our Lord Jesus Christ by the utmost force of those spiritual weapons or arguments wherewith he is furnished thereunto by the word and counsel of the Lord against all those that may gain say it in doctrine practice or conversation following the example of the Apostles and messengers of the great King The weapons of whose warfar were not carnal neither was their war against the flesh and bloud of men in error but the weapons wherewith they warred were spiritual and mighty through God to the destroying of that spirit of wickedness which leads into error and also to the recovering many out of error who have been captivated in error And they that are furnished with the spiritual wisdome word and power of the Lord God by which many are turned to righteousness they shall shine as the brightness of heaven and as the starrs for ever and ever Lastly it 's the duty of the children of God who in measure experience redemption and sanctification by Christ Jesus to give a reason according to their ability with meekness and fear of that precious hope and faith through which they have or may overcome in the day of tryal and hour of temptation which cometh upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the Earth and that excellent hope and faith in which the Saints are preserved in this day and hour of tryal and through which they shall be purified and made more white that their innocency may shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of their Father and which keeps from fainting to the end is of more worth then gold that perisheth and is not to be valued with all created excellencies or compared with any glory of this fading world therefore I may say of the faith and hope of which Christians ought to give a reason as Job did of wisdome man knows not the price thereof neither is it found in the land of the living Having in the love and fear of the Lord returned an answer to I. B. his Queries and therein given some reason and account of our faith and judgement in the things queried it s desired that I. B. may answer these following Queries in the same love that we may know a reason of his faith and judgement concerning the things queried Query 1. WHether Christ by that one act of his death and suffering hath so done away or blotted out the sins of the children of men that the divine justice of his father is so answerd or satisfied thereby that he looks upon men to be in his Son notwithstanding they are yet sinners and accepts them as perfectly righteous in his sight only in and through what Iesus hath done for them by his death upon the Crosse Query 2. Whether God who is the righteous Judge of all the world doth so impute his righteousnesse as to justifie any man upon the earth thereby in the self same capacity as his righteous law in Christ condemns him Query 3. Whether any man upon earth is absolutely acqvitted and freed from sin by virtue of what Christ hath done and suffered without whiles as yet the witnesse of Gods Spirit in his own heart and conscience condemns him Query 4. Whether there is any such thing as that any mans sins are done away past present and to come whiles as yet he doth not cease to commit sin Query 5. And if the eternal God doth impute the righteousnesse of his Son so as to justifie any while they do not yet cease to commit sin why doth he not so unto all seeing