Selected quad for the lemma: father_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
father_n	holy_a	know_v	son_n	20,890	5	5.9615	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06161	A divine discovery of sincerity according to its proper and peculiar nature: very profitable for all sorts of persons to peruse. First preached, and now published, for the good of Gods Church in generall. By Nicholas Lockyer Master of Arts.	Lockyer, Nicholas, 1611-1685.	1640 (1640)	STC 16652; ESTC S108798	88,291	248

villany in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbours wives and have spoken lying words in my Name which I have not commanded them even I know and am a witnesse saith the Lord Jer. 29.23 By this we see that God the Father sees our sinnes and is a witnesse but because he will not be a witnesse in his own cause he will have two sufficient witnesses besides himselfe to wit Christ and conscience both very true The Divell would willingly be a witnesse against man as an evill spirit that knowes much by man but does not know so much as the Spirit of man which is in him and therefore not a sufficient witnesse But if that evill Spirit did know as much by man as mans owne evill spirit which is in him yet being corrupt he would prove a false witnesse against man a Knight of the Post and sweare any thing against man to bring as great misery upon him as is upon himselfe if he might be admitted for a witnesse such is his divellish hatred and malice to all beings better then his owne but therefore God will not admit of him as a witnesse for or against a man Two true witnesses will God have one without a man and another within him one in heaven and another in earth to wit Christ and conscience Behold I have given him for a witnesse to the People saith God the Father of Christ Isa 55.4 And this witnesse is in Heaven saith Iob Behold my witnesse is in Heaven Job 16.19 Not so in heaven that he is not also in earth or as if he were ignorant of any thing done in earth for then he could not be a sufficient witnesse Iob speakes of Christ according to his speciall place of residence and that is in heaven but Christ hath a Country house here below in our hearts where he hath one abiding continually that is equall to himselfe that tels him all to wit his spirit so that Christ is as competent a witnesse as conscience that sits as Register still in the heart and never stirres out of his place These two witnesses do as that man was commanded to doe which had a sheepe committed to his trust and the sheepe torne in pieces by wild beasts he was to bring some of that which was left some horne or hoofe or any part else that was left for a witnesse of the truth thereof Exod. 22.13 Thus Christ and conscience bring before God the soule those precepts which were by God committed to man to be kept and which he hath suffered his unruly heart to breake to pieces my meaning is so lively doe these two witnesses set before the sinner the breach of every precept according to every circumstance as ever any party under the Law could set before the owner the tearing in pieces of his cattell by the limmes and pieces thereof And this being done divine sentence is given and the soule must needs be silent being so legally handled and Angels and Saints be forc'd to breake forth and say Rightéous art thou O God in all thy waies and holy in all thy works Lastly God hath given this power to conscience to give testimony concerning mans simplicity or hypocrisie that so God at the great day may dispatch a great deale of weighty businesse speedily And I will come neere to you to judgement and I will be a swift witnesse against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and false swearers saith the Lord Mal. 3.5 What the Lord then spake respecting a particular judgement the same will be Gods proceeding with all at the great day The bookes shall be opened Christs booke and the booke of conscience and so in a moment in the twinkling of an eye that is very speedily all things shall be cleare to Judge and malefactour without troubling Juries and other witnesses as we doe here which would make a long worke at that great assize and all persons be judged sent to their place and so righteously judged that not one shall open his mouth to complaine Now this could not possibly be a work speedily done if God had not given this power to conscience to reflect and give testimony and to be instead of better then a thousand witnesses beside and all debating pro and con betweene them The wisedome of God is here to be admired for he hath made such a witnesse to give testimony with Christ for or against a man every way so fit that nothing in the world can be judged so fit Christ we must all confesse to be very sit to be Gods Delegate because he came out of the bosome of God and knows exactly all his Lawes which he hath given man to observe which Angels doe not and man is a party and therefore both unfit But the holy Ghost cannot be judged fit to be mans Delegate because one with the Father and Sonne and so a party in the cause And as for Angels they know not neither the proposed rule exactly nor the aberrations of the Delinquent and as for men they are parties in the cause and so would juggle together and sweare one for another or at least as one flesh and bone with foolish pity spoile a City as we say that is they would speake flattering and halting and so over-turne justice at last after a great deale of doe with them Now to prevent all this danger toile and stirre God hath created such a power within man as to observe all things done by man and no lesse one with man then Christ is with the Father and therefore as inexceptible a Delegate for man on the one side as Christ is for God on the other side And these two of an instant without all disturbance distraction or turmoile give in exact evidence concerning mans integrity or hypocrisie and so speedily without all clamour sentence and execution and all is finished and the Judge of all the world does more weighty businesse in a moment and farre better then all the Judges in this world could do in the age of the world Having thus given you the point and the grounds of it let us see in the next place how usefull this may be unto us all Hath God given power to conscience to give testimony concerning the simplicity or hypocrisie of mans waies Why then let us all take heed how we order our conversation in this world Give leave to your soules to thinke nothing speake nothing nor doe nothing but what you would have written downe and delivered into the Judge of all the world at the great day When we know a tale-teller is neare us we are very carefull what we say or doe Why we have alwaies a tell-truth in our bosomes where ever we goe or whatsoever we doe who will tell all to the Judge of all the world that we thinke speake or doe and therefore let us watch over our thoughts words and deeds and so thinke and so speake and so doe as those that looke to have the comfortable

declaration of their sincere love to Christ and his members Ignorantia normae ignorantia culpabilis est but being ignorant of what is indeed sincerity to wit what is indeed right and the thing to be stood for doe nothing shew themselves neuters or else doe as the most doe Some though they have a long time lived in the light and should be able to distinguish betweene light and darkenesse yet through a carelesse improvement of the light and resting in customes know not what is indeed the exact will of God to be stood for and therefore when they are by the providence of God brought upon the stage to set their seale to Gods truth they as fooles say and doe they know not what Others there are who though not ignorant of what is indeed right and good but yet ignorant of the danger which may ensue upon the neglect of any opportunity for the declaration of sincerity passe by one speciall occasion and promise to themselves another and god greadventure presently proceeds against them in a strict way of judicature to the deserting of their soules and never brings about such a golden opportunity more unto them wherein to shew themselves so admirably for him Salomon points at this where he saith Because to every purpose there is time and judgement therefore the misery of man is great upon him Eccl. 8.6 The misery of man is great upon him indeed that is either ignorant of judgement 1 of what is right and sincere or that is ignorant of time that is of such speciall and sit opportunities as God offers to man for the performing of and standing for what is right and good You that are ignorant of judgement of what is right to be done or suffered you will by the example of others be drawne to stand against right instead of standing for it as did the ignorant multitude against Christ concerning whom the Apostle speakes thus That had they known it they had not crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 The ignorant Jewes not knowing judgement were by the example of the learned Scribes and Pharises drawne to stand against Christ instead of standing for him and so pulled the guilt of innocent blood upon them which is not yet washed off You that are ignorant of time of the speciall occasions and times which God in the course of his providence brings about for the declaration of sincerity and of the dangers which ensue thereupon must be told this That you will open great gaps unto evill ere you are aware Old Ely not taking that speciall occasion given him to declare his sincerity by a due punishment upon his sonnes they grew horribly wicked and Gods wrath grew quickly unquenchably hot Secondly let me tell you this That you blindfoldly passe by the choysest times of your life to advance your owne happinesse both here and hereafter Phinehas for taking that speciall time which God gave him to declare his sincere love to him wonne a great deale of honour to himselfe and posterity And so likewise Levi who tooke hold of that speciall time that God gave him to declare his sincerity Who said to his father and to his mother I have not seene him neither did he acknowledge his brethren nor knew his owne children Deut. 33.9 wonne unspeakeable honour So likewise Abraham in taking that speciall time which God gave him to trie the sincerity of his love in putting on to sacrifice his onely sonne won incomparable dignity 2. Secondly such as through carnall feare passe by speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity are here to be blamed This I thinke was Pilats case God gave a speciall time unto him for the declaration of sincere love to Christ when Christ was brought as a malefactour before him and yet nothing worthy of death or of bonds could be found against him But Pilat out of feare to displease the Jewes passed by this golden opportunity and passed Sentence upon the innocent This was Peters weakenesse God gave him a speciall occasion for the declaration of sincere love to Christ when the Damosell so hardly put him to it and yet he out of feare passed by this golden opportunity denyed Christ with all vehemency which he should with all boldnesse and fervour then have confessed Such as these may doe well to keepe these two Scriptures still in their minds I even I am he that comforteth you Who art thou that shouldst be afraid of a man that shall die and of the sonne of man that shall be made as grasse Isa 51.12 But whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my father which is in Heaven Math. 10.33 Secondly such may doe well also to consider this That they will brand their name with everlasting reproch rob God of more honour through their cowardlynesse then their soules are worth though rated above all this world and rob themselves of the spirit of glody which rests transcendently upon suffering Christians as Peter speakes 1 Pet. 4.14 Thirdly such as passe by speciall times for the declaration of sincerity through carnall perswasion are here to be blamed The man of God which cryed against the Altar at Bethel was faulty in this kind God gave to him a speciall occasion to declare his sincere love to him when that old Prophet perswaded him to doe contrary to his commission but he being overborne with the smooth language of the Prophet returned backe with him and did eate bread and drinke water contrary to the expresse command of God How the man of God was handled for this such shall doe well to thinke of that are apt to have an eare open to carnall counsell and perswasion to be turned thereby from taking hold of speciall times for the declaration of sincerity Three examples more there be which are most worthy of these mens consideration which would have this weakenesse cured in them The first is the example of Ioseph in his carriage to his Mistris He would not admit of discourse with her nor stand to hearken to her unclean perswasions but speedily breaks away from her company and counsell both The second is the example of Paul that would not consult with flesh and blood when he was to take hold of speciall occasions and times for the declaration of his sincere love to Christ The third is the example of Christ himselfe in his carriage to Peter who when he sought to perswade him to spare himselfe said Get thee behind me Satan 4. Fourthly such as out of carnall pity passe by speciall occasions for the declaration of sincerity are by this doctrine to be blamed Good old Ely was faulty in this kind Out of pitty to his sonnes he forbore to doe that which he should have done to have declared his sincere love to the glory of God Let such as are faulty in this kind thinke on Elies misery to humble them and on these divine examples following to reforme them Thinke on Levi who sheathed