Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	according_a	jerusalem_n	zion_n	15	3	8.6119	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86934	A brief exposition of the prophecies of Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah. By George Hutcheson minister at Edenburgh. Imprimatur, Edm. Calamy	Hutcheson, George, 1615-1674.	1654 (1654)	Wing H3822; Thomason E1454_1; ESTC R209588	282,367	353

us go say they and he will teach us of his wayes they account it a mercy to be taught and that not what they like or as they effect but what is his will 13. Albeit the Lord hath appointed a teaching Ministry in his Church which his people ought and wil acknowledge yet every true convert is taught of God partly while they hang not their faith on mens authority but exalt God alone to be the infallible Teacher and Law-giver in his Church and do try if what men say be agreeable to his mind and partly while they feele God in and by his appointed means teaching truth effectually and perswasively to their hearts Hee will teach us of his wayes say they See John 4 42. 1 Thes 1.13 14 As all knowledge of divine things ought not to rest in contemplations but stirre up to practice so however men of much literal knowledge may be more prophane in their conversations then others yet such as are taught of God and acknowledg his Authority in the meanes of instruction and feel the efficacy of his Spirit conveighing what is taught to their hearts their knowledg will resolve in practice it being the Lords prerogative to convince the conscience and subdue and stir up inclinations to practise what is taught He will teach us and we wil walk in his paths Unto this promise the Prophet subjoynes a reason why Nations should seek to joyn with the Church to wit because the doctrine of salvation should go forth from the Jews among all Nations to stir them up to seek the Lord and this light shall shine forth in the Church in all ages to invite Nations to come and seek teaching Doct. 1. The glory of the Church of the New Testament consists not in idle ceremonies but in the profession and holding forth of true doctrine according to the Word which is the badge and mark of the true Church for the Law or generally the true doctrine as the word in the Original bears shall go forth out of Zion and the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem that it may shine in all the Churches of the Gentiles and this is a part of the eminency of the mountain of the Lords house 2. The Lord hath made it clear that the Doctrine of salvation in the days of the Messiah was not to be treasured up among the Jewes only as of old Psal 147.19 but to spread throughout the world for the Law shall go forth of Zion c. 3 The Doctrine of the Gospel is the same for substance with what was in the Church of the Jewes though clothed with new circumstantials Therefore it is called a Law alluding to the old name and cometh from among them to us though not from Sinai cloathed with dark shadowes and fearful terrours but from Zion adorned with cleernesse and seasoned with sweetnesse 4. As the Word of God published in his Church is the instrument of true conversion so it is the meanes whereby Christ inlargeth his Kingdome and will prevail in the world to perswade Nations to joyne themselves to him in his Church therefore is this given as a reason of the inlargement of the Church and activity of Converts for the Law shall go forth of Zion c. Ver. 3. And he shall judge among many people and rebuke strong Nations afar off and they shal beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hook Nation shall not lift up a sword against Nation neither shall they learn war any more Ver. 4. But they shall sit every man under his Vine and under his fig-tree and none shall make them afraid for the month of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it The next promise contains her peace and tranquillity setting out yet more the Churches glory under Christs government that God in his Son Christ shall by his Gospel have and exercise a spiritual jurisdiction and kingdome in the world whereby he shall subdue them to his obedience and having subdued shall govern them so as to procure peace and tranquillity to the Church that the converted may serve God quietly in their particular stations and become useful each to other This their condition is expressed in termes taken from the usual practice of peaceable times wherein men being out of use of war do turne their weapons of offence into instruments of husbandry and utility and wherein men go about those callings and abide abroad in the fields without fear of danger as 1 King 4.25 Doct. 1. Christ coming with his Gospel is to reigne as a King and have authority over those who receive him for he shall judge among many people 2. It is a truth to be much and frequently studied that Christs Kingdome is universal his Church spread over the world and he having power over all for her good that he may have his glory and every particular Church and believer be comforted in such a head and in hope of the enlargement of his dominion when by Apostafie or persecution it is confined to narrow bounds therefore is it again promised that he shal judge among many people and rebuke strong Nations afar off to wit far from Judea and meaning all people far and neer 3. The Lord may deal very terribly with such as he purposeth to do much good unto he may convince rebuke and afflict them for sin that he may drive them to his mercy for that is a part of his work in gathering a Kingdom to judge and rebuke 4. Albeit the Lord in gathering of his Church do not make use of weapons of war but only his Word with the reproofs and terrors thereof yet that will suffice to subdue them to him nothing in the creature being able to stand out against the Lord convincing and rebuking for sin for if he judge and rebuke many people and strong Nations they will feel it and beat their swords into plowshares c. and come under his government 5. This promise of great tranquillity and peace is not so to be understood as if the Lord did condemn Christians their undertaking of lawful wars for Magistrates bearing the sword of Justice which must oft-times be executed by force of armes is the Ordinance of God Rom. 13. Nor are we so to understand it as if the Church were alwayes to enjoy outward peace and tranquillity for Christ refuses that himself Matth. 10.34 Nor doth the godlies spiritual peace in all troubles exhaust the full scope of this promise But the scope is to teach us 1. The saving effect of the Gospel upon men is when it daunts and subdues their corruptions and so makes them as tractable and plyable to the will of God so peaceably study to serve God in their stations and to be useful each to other for when these strong Nations are rebuked they beat their swords into plowshares c. Which are instruments of their lawful calling and of utility to themselves and others 2. This taming of mens corruptions by the Gospel will appear farther

Prophets make my people erre see how farre they prevaile above any meanes 1 Kings 22.20 21 22. 3. As it is a great sin against God to seduce and mislead a people wherein he hath interest so the negligence and treachery of Pastours doth indeare the Lords people so much the more unto him and call for his especial care for so it is imported in this epithete They make my people erre See Ezek. 13.23 4. It is a great cruelty and murther to proclaime peace to a sinfull and impenitent people for They bite with their teeth and cry peace their very crying of peace is cruel biting and devouring of soules Ezek. 22.25 5. It is a mercenary and hireling disposition in Pastours to seek themselves or their commodity as their chiefe and onely scope in their calling for so much also doth this challenge teach They bite with their teeth and cry Peace that is they flatter the people that so they may get occasion to eat them up and live upon them See Ezekiel 13.18 19. or they preached for their owne advantage seeking the things of the people and not themselves 2 Cor. 12.14 6. It is also unbeseeming the faithfull Messengers of God to accommodate the discharge of their Ministry so as may best promote their owne ends and to threaten discountenance blesse or curse according as they get or want their aimed at gaine such is the practise of false prophets while they have to bite with their teeth they cry Peace and he that puts not into their mouths or he that giveth not according to their mouthes that is as much as they desire or seek they even prepare war against him and turne his mortal enemy in their doctrine 7. Men who are covetous and given to filthy lucre can hardly be faithfull in a Ministerial calling to divide the Word aright as the example of these false Prophets teacheth who look not to the mind of God in discharge of their office but to what might best suite with their ends and accordingly did frame their doctrine Ver. 6. Therefore night shall be unto you that yee shall not have a vision and it shall bee darke unto you that ye shall not divine and the Sunne shall goe downe over the Prophets and the day shall be darke over them 7. Then shall the Seers be ashamed and the diviners confounded yea they shall all cover their lips for there is no answer of God The Lords sentence against these false Prophets is that they shall have no visions or divinations from God Not that ever they had any from him but that the dark night of trouble and calamity coming on and the Sun of their prosperity and delights going down as the forme of speech is taken Jer. 15.9 they shall thereby be so overwhelmed and confounded that they shall not dare any more to feign false prophecies or pretend to revelations as formerly they did This is amplified ver 7 from the effects of it that these who gave out themselves for Seers and diviners when it shall appear by events that they never had any vision from God and that being confounded by trouble they dare not speak so boldly as they did they shall be despised of all shall think shame of themselves and cover their lip in signe of grief and confusion See Lev. 13.45 Doct. 1. God wil have false teachers seen in their own colours and will decipher them to the world so doth this threaning teach 2. Events will prove that peace preached to a back-sliding and impenitent people is no vision from God for the Lord threatens that by sending night and darknesse of trouble contrary to their doctrine he shall depose the false prophets and make it manifest that they had no vision from him See Jer. 28.5 6 7 8 9. 3. Howsoever deluded and presumptuous men may bear out in the day of their prosperyty and sun-shine yet trouble will confound their presumption and dry up their delusion for when it is night and dark and their Sun goeth down and their day is dark then they shall not have a vision nor divine 4. False teachers and unfaithful men in Gods house shall in due time be plagued with confusion contempt and ignominie and be made to think shame of themselves and their way for then shall the Seers be ashamed and the diviners confounded c. See Zechariah 13.4 Malachi 2.8.9 Ver. 8. But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the LORD and of judgement and of might to declare unto Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sinne While Micah is denouncing Judgments against false prophets in opposition to thei● unfaithfulnesse in their callings through disloyalty and fear hee sets forth himself as furnished with gifts and endowments requisite for the faithfull discharge of his Office though hee had few or none to second him in carrying hard tidings and great ones of all ranks against him whereby as hee cleareth himself that hee was not a false prophet so also that hee should not be confounded nor think shame of himself or of his Office as they should do Doct. 1. It is no way contrary to true humility for a man to assert his own calling and endowments from God when otherwise hee and in him his message is ready to be brought into contempt by the humours of men for so doth Micah's example teach who vindicates himself from any contempt which false Prophets and such as affected them might cast upon him 2. A mans clear testimony in his conscience of his calling fidelity and furniture from God to discharge his calling will prove comfortable when the Lord is about to reckon with such as run without his calling for so doth Micah upon the back of the threatnings against false teachers comfort himselfe But truly there is the certainty of his testimony I am full of power c. 3. Albeit Micah had some qualifications extraordinary yet from this we may gather several characters of a faithful Minister every one whereof is a lesson teaching Ministers what to seeke after As 1. However the Lord may blesse the meane gifts of such as are honest yet neither are Ministers to be empty vessels nor swelled with ostentation but a large measure of real furniture is to be sought after I am full saith he 2. Their endowments must be not only such as are acquired by the use of ordinary means and helps of literature much lesse ought their owne spirits or humours to bear sway here but they should seek the Spirit of the Lord to sanctifie their spirits and abilities and furnish them in their dependence on him for saith he I am full by the Spirit of the Lord which he had extraordinarily as a Prophet and Ministers ought to have in an ordinary way They ought I say to have not only the Spirit of their calling but the Spirit of sanctification also as their duty and for their own soules good though otherwise a man may be a true Minister and may be an