Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	aaron_n	answer_v	tell_v	24	3	5.0205	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10929	The true conuert. Or An exposition vpon the vvhole parable of the prodigall. Luke. 15. 11.12. &c. Wherein is manifestly shewed; 1. Mans miserable estate by forsaking of God. 2. Mans happie estate by returning to God. Deliuered in sundry sermons, by Nehemiah Rogers, preacher of Gods Word, at St Margarets Fish-street. And now by him published, intending the farther benefit of so many as then heard it; and the profit of so many as shall please to read it.	Rogers, Nehemiah, 1593-1660.	1620 (1620)	STC 21201; ESTC S116104	291,820	402

grow more strong by thy daily feeding it in the vsing of the meanes If thou bearest any fruit God like a carefull hus-bandman will prune thee Iohn 15.2 that thou mayst bring forth more fruit other trees at last decay though formerly they haue bore fruit but trees of Righteousnesse the more they yeild the more they shall be replenished and the elder they grow the more shall they flourish and the better shall they prosper Keepe then thy grace in an honest heart and it will encrease though yet it be small like the widdowes oile in the cruise and meale in the barrell when great graces in an vnsound heart shall vanish away and come to nothing Text. To my Father Not to my brother or fathers seruants or to my harlots But to my father Hence learne Doctr. The bosome of the Lord is the only best refuge in the day of calamity Releife is to bee sought for only at Gods hands in time of misery and distresse To him are wee to betake our selues and to none but him This hath Gods Church and children shewed by their practise Dauid being in misery euer flyeth to the Lord this was his ordinarie course as might be made plaine by many particular instances fetched out of the Psalmes Where we may often reade of these and the like sayings I called vpon the Lord in my trouble and againe In my distresse I cried to the Lord Psal 3.4 Psal 120.1 Psa 142.4 Psa 116 4.3 Psal 107.4.5.6 and againe When all refuge failed mee I cried to the Lord. Such sayings are frequent This course did the Church take in time of trouble For when they wandered in the wildernesse in a solitary way and found no citie to dwell in being hungry and thirsty their soule fainting in them Then they cryed to the Lord in their trouble and he deliuered them out of their distresse Vers 12.13 When their heart was brought downe with labour and they fell there being none to helpe them t●ere also they cryed to the Lord in their trouble and he saued them out of their distresse Verse 17.18 When they were afflicted because of their transgressions and iniquities then they cryed to the Lord and hee saued them out of their distresses yea Vers 27 2● when they were at their wits end by reason of their afflictions they cryed to the Lord out of this their trouble and hee brought them ought of their distresses It were endlesse to bring what might be brought for the confirming of this truth Psa 99.6 I could tell you of Moses and Aaron amongst his priests and Samuell amongst them that call vpon his name how these called vpon the Lord and were answered But what shall I need to vnderprop so knowne a truth let mee giue you the reason and then I will shew you the vse All power to helpe is in his hands alone Reason 2 Chron. 20. as Iehoshaphat doth confesse when he saith thus O Lord God of our Fathers art not thou God in heauen and rulest not thou ouer all the kingdomes of the heathen and in thine hand is there not power and might so that none is able to withstand thee Iob. 5.6 Afflictions come not out of the dust neither spring they from the earth but from the most high God do they proceed Hos 6.1 Now who shall bind vp the wound but he that made it who shall heale but he that hath smitten to him therefore must we turne to him must we seeke for helpe Let this serue then to reproue such as betake themselues Vse 1 to other helpes in time of misery seekeing to bee releiued either by Saints or Angells in heauen or by Coniurers Witches or such like vnlawfull meanes heere vpon the earth This was King Ahaziahs sinne 2 King 1.2 who being sicke sent messengers and sayd vnto them Goe enquire of Baalzebub the God of Ekron whether I shall recouer of this disease contrary to that charge which God doth giue his people Regard not them that haue familiar spirits Leuit. 19 31. neither seeke after Wizards to be defiled by them I am the Lord your God Of this I haue formerly spoke more and therefore a word or two here shall suffice Secondly let this te ch vs to betake our selues vnto Vse 2 the Lord when sorrowes and griefes assaile vs. Seeke helpe from him and that by meanes yet onely by such lawfull meanes as he hath warranted in his Word And beware of trusting in the meanes that God hath warranted It is lawfull to seeke to the Physitian and vse of his helpe yet to trust in the helpe of the Physitian more then in the helpe of God and to seeke first and rather to the Physitian then vnto God 2. Chro. 16.12 is sinnefull This was Asa his sinne and remaines as a blemish vpon his name to this day and will doe for euer Trust not then in the meanes but in God who must giue a blessing vpon the means Let them haue their place set them not aboue their place for by one blast of God they may become vnprofitable and vnsuccessefull See therefore thou bee more desirous of a blessing then of the meanes let this bee the chiefe meanes that thou doest vse to flye vnto the Lord and powre forth thy soule before him and then be thou assured at length to haue redresse and helpe What we say of some speciall medicine that hath oft beene tryed we may say of this probatum est Gods children neuer tooke this course in vaine Text. Verba sunt poenitentiam meditantis in confessione peccati nondum tamen agentis August And say vnto him Father He doth here fore-thinke what he should speake when as he comes into his Fathers presence for as yet he was not From his practise learne Not to come into Gods presence without preparation but consider what to say and what to seeke before you speake Doctr. Preparation needfull before we speake to God Eccles 5.1 Hos 14.2 Reason Be not rash saith the Wiseman with thy mouth and let not thine heart bee hastie to vtter any thing before God Wee must conferre with our owne hearts and prepare them before we come into the Lords presence To this doth the Prophet Hosea seeme to exhort Israel Take vnto you words and turne to the Lord and say vnto him The reason of this Solomon giues in the place before cited For God saith he is in heauen and thou art vpon the earth as if he should say God is full of Maiestie and wisedome but thou an infirme and wretched creature He is both Lord and Iudge but thou a miserable and sinnefull worme And therefore it concernes thee to consider aduisedly what to speake This serues to reproue many Vse who rashly come into Gods presence without any preparation or due meditation of what they are to say or craue Small is the number indeed of such as doe pray but smaller is the

Strumpets but also for the vgliest and most deformed sins What vice so odious that hath not found a couer What sinne so grosse which once committed hath not some faire pretence Gods Sabboths are broken his name blasphemed Diuers sorts of complexion-makers for sin reprooued First such as plead necessitie of liuing in their callings his seruice neglected our brethren defrauded the poore oppressed and all vnder pretence of necessitie of liuing in the world and maintaining wife and children with the rest of our familie Thus many I say not all of you Shop-keepers perswade yourselues as your practise testifieth that you could not liue if you should not lie and deceiue for by this craft Acts 17. you get your gaine So other Tradesmen as Taylors Shoomakers Vintners Butchers Chandlers and the like thinke they may be dispensed with though they labour in the workes of their callings on the Sabboth day because otherwise they should loose their custome together with their gaine by which they are enabled to maintaine themselues and theirs Yea and vnder this pretence many liue in vnlawfull callings as Vsurers Players Gamsters and the like but what better pretence haue these then Harlots Theeues and Pick-purses who vse those courses because they haue no other meanes to liue and maintaine themselues If this be a sufficient cloake for sinne then Tiburne hath the more cause to complaine where many a one haue ended their dayes for their robbing and taking mens purses by the high way side though they haue pretended that they had no other means to liue by and if they had not done this they knew not which way to haue maintained themselues Away then with this sottish excuse and fond pretence for better were it for thee not to liue at all then to liue in sinne to the dishonour of God and hurt of thy brethren and farre better were it that thy bodie should pine and famish in this world then that thy bodie and soule should for euer fry in hell torments Secondly such as plead pouertie and therefore haue no time for good duties and religious exercises So other-some being reproued for their neglect of good duties and holy exercises which God enioynes pretend their pouertie and meane estate our whole time say they is little enough to prouide for necessaries wee haue no leisure to heare Sermons read the Word pray with our familie as other haue and if we should do this we may beg our bread except we should vse fraud and deceit to supply our need But let such know this is no sufficient excuse for the neglect of holy duties For one thing is necessary as our Sauiour telleth Martha and we must rid our selues of worldly encumbrances to choose the better part If we would first seeke the Kingdome of heauen and the righteousnesse thereof all these things should be giuen vnto vs. We haue Gods gracious promise for earthly necessaries Sundry other pretences doe many bring to defend their sinne Thirdly such as pretend preuention of further mischiefe as that they doe it to preuent a further mischiefe Thus doe the Papists excuse the maintaining of their Stewes we doe it say they to preuent a further inconuenience Others pretend they doe this Fourthly such as pretend triall or this euill onely for this end that by their owne experience they may see the vanitie and vilenesse of it So doe many of our Cittizens goe to see masse for trials sake and that againe againe yea and for a need can bow their knee to Baal tell them of this they colour it with this pretence they goe indeed to see it but it is with a good intent Such reproued as refuse diligent hearing of the word vnder pretence of hearing more in an houre then they can practise all their liues And so others who refuse comming to the Lords table because they are not in charitie or not prepared that they might learne the more to loath it I might instance in sundry other particulars as for the hearing of the word some will heare once a moneth or at most once a day but no oftner for say they we can heare more then then we can practise all our dayes And the like for their comming to the Lords table they cannot come because they are not in charitie or they are not prepared as they ought to be Thus are we growne skilfull in varnishing of sin thus doe we blaunch our vile blemishes and putrified sores which euidently shewes that we are ranke hypocrites and exceeding sinners against the Lord. Secondly let this admonish vs that we colour not our actions when we know they be euill neither set a faire glosse on them as the wicked doe alwayes remembring that albeit colouring may serue vs for aduantage Vse 2 amongst men yet to his eyes with whom we haue to doe Heb. 4. all things are naked and vncouered Hee cannot be deceiued by any pretence though neuer so cunningly contriued though man may be 1. Cor. 4.5 It is not pretence will stead vs at that day when God shall enlighten things that are hidden in darkenesse then shall all things appeare as they are and all coulourable pretences shall vanish away as smoake then shall the very secret parts of thy heart bee discouered and thy very thoughts shall be made manifest And thus much be spoken of the second branch wherin we haue seene how this elder brother expressed this his discontent viz. by his reasoning with and accusing of his Father for vnkindnesse which accusation he doth amplifie by an Antithesis He had beene obedient and his younger brother disobedient Now we come to the third and last branch wherein we are to see how this his anger is quallified And that is done two wayes First by his Fathers kind intreatie of him ver 28. And secondly by the Apollogie which his Father made conteined in the two last verses For the first and from the first of these we may learne thus much Doctr. God dealeth with sinners in a mild manner with quiet and peaceable termes When God hath to deale with sinners he dealeth with them in a milde and meeke manner and not in furie and rage The Father we see doth deale with him in a peaceable manner he commeth and intreats him to come in and doth not in a furie will him to be packing and come no more within his doores Instead of chiding he fals to intreating and in peaceable termes debates the matter with him By whose practise Gods gracious dealing with sinners is set forth For the further proofe of this truth doe but remember Gods manner of proceeding with our Grandfather Adam after he had eaten of the forbidden fruit and had hid himselfe amongst the bushes Adam saith he where art thou Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I told thee thou shouldst not eate Gen. 3.9 Thus in quiet and peaceable termes did God reason the matter with him and did not with furie and