Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A16199
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An exposition vppon the thirtie two psalme describing the true manner of humbling and raising vppe of Gods children. Set foorth by Maister David Blak.
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Blake, David, fl. 1600.
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1600
(1600)
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STC 3122; ESTC S118251
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32,594
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98
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as he that can speake but DAVID in this place accuseth himselfe of hypocrisie and hardnes of heart ân this that he refused to deale seriously with his owne conscience and to persist ân the meditation of mortification till such time as he had a sufficient sight and detestation of his sinne without which âll the confession of men must be hypocriticall their smoake infect the ayre This then indeed was Dauids silence that he refused to giue answere to the holy Ghost calling vpoÌ his conscience for want of faith was kept either with some presumption or elles with some terrour from entring into a most graue consultation and resolute determination to take such perfite notise of the haynousnes of his sinnes as the nature of true repentance doth require for this is common to vs all that although we desire to be saved yet there is not one amongst an hundreth that will taske himselfe so zealouslie as hee ought with a sincere perseuerance in humbling himselfe to walke with God yea and least any man should resolue with himselfe not to bee stripped of sackcloth and ashes nor to put away the purpose of sorrowe and lamentation in seeking after his vvelbeloued as it is in the song of SALOMON till he had found her The diuel hath infected the heartes of many men with a damnable errour in the definition oâ repentaunce making them beleeue that euery terror of the heart for sinne is the nature of true repentaunce and to that purpose hee abuseth the Scriptures that CHRIST will not quench the smoking flaxe nor breake the brused reede And by these fallacions and false comfortes he quencheth the zeale of many and maketh them giue ouer their laboure and consultationes of humbling them-selues and seeking of CHRIST before their conscience haue felt any comfort at all As if euerie sorrow were godly sorrow or as if it were possible for mercie to bee founde and yet neuer felt or for repentance to bee separated from faith and the spirite of fredome This cursed discontinuance of our trauel in Godly sorrow the Prophet ESAY derideth calling pennance for a daye and bowing downe the head lik a Bulrush And the Prophet AMOS likeneth it to the dewe and the Morning cloude which is suddainelie gone And this is the swept and garnished house mentioned by CHRIST Repossessed by seuen worser spirites then before For as this false repentance feedeth their hearte with false hope and suffereth not true comfort to take place as appeareth in the daye of visitation So may this negligence giuing ouer our labour in mortification bee worthelie accompted the cause why men wallow in fowler enormities then before swallowing againe as S. PETER sayth The vomite which before they had cast as it is most certaine and true those men finde in themselues lesse power to doe well and are carried with more raging affections to do wickedlie then euer they felt before What shall wee say then Do we require such a measure of sorrow as might counter-weight the same or do we esteeme remission by the dignitie of repentance nothing lesse For we know that if wee had a thousand eyes it were too little to weepe them out all because of our sins yea if we had a thousand hearts though they al burst with sorrow because of our transgressions yet it were not this but Christes hearte bloud that could make the fathers heart to yearne or could merite remission at his handes what is it then that we require namely that men returne not from the schoole of repentance to worldly delights which quench the spirite till their hartes bee made joyfull by the holy Ghoste by feeling an heartie detestation of their wickednesse and a resolute determination to continue cherefully in the course of godlines so long vntill both faith hope be abolished that then resting from their laboures they may solace themselues with loue celestial as sainct PAVLE speaketh for the trueth is that manie when they compare themselues with DAVID other of Gods children I meane the difficulties and long afflictions of them and the short worke which they themselus haue made so easiely dispatched in this worke of repentance haue cause to suspect themselues vehementlie and to examine themselues straightlie by the fruites of feeling and conversion whether they haue right repented or no Sainct PAVL in the 2. Epistle to the Cor. the 7. Cap. like a man of experience setteth downe seuen notable affectes of repentance I woulde they were well pervsed that wee might trye our selues by them for it is a care that ought to possesse all the powers both of bodie and soule considdering that Sathan with this engine maketh a number of soules pertakers of their owne condemnation The matter therefore groweth to this poynt that although we confesse neuer so absolutelie that we are sinners with the greatest vehemency of speach that can bee yet so long as there remayneth selfe-loue in vs prevailing so farre with vs as to make vs take exceptions against the seueritie of this spirituall discipline al this while because we cannot finde in our heartes to plucke out our eyes and cutte off our handes at Christes commandemente that is to deale seuerelie with our selues in mortifying euery provocation to offence wee doe but flatter our breath in the winde and the hypocrise that is in vs drowneth the sounde of our confession so as A voyce cannot âe heard as the Prophet ESAY witnesseth Let vs therfore as we are aduised in the REVELATION be zealous in repenâance that the holy Ghoste may assure our conscience that our mourning is growen into the nature of true repentance not deceauing our selues with beginninges because the Scripture sayeth plainely that the proceedinges of a ârue convert is not to stay himselfe with a perswasion of repentance when hee âs pricked at the hearte but to steppe yet further to lay holde vpon repentance it selfe as vpon a more excellent and infalâible grace as we may reade that it befel âo PETERS auditorie in that 2. of the ACTES of whom the holy Ghoste sayeth first That they vvere pricked in their heartes which least it should be taken for âepentance he sayeth that vpon further ânstruction and more carefull searche they atteyned to repentance it selfe afterward that we may knowe that pricking at the heart repentance are not all one but two seuerall thinges whereof one may be in a lost child as that was in IVDAS but the other belongeth oneliâ to the sons and daughters of God Thuâ hath DAVID declared how he brought himselfe into fearefull troubles as iâ were by gagging of his owne conscience least he should make such a confession as it required at his handes Now it remaineth to be considereâ what troubles those were My bones saitâ he consumed and waxed olde c. That is care which eateth out the hearte madâ her impressione in my body and thâ thoughts which I had taken did so pynâ me away that it burneth the marrowâ out of my bones