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	bell_n	golden_a	37	3	8.2371	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97021	None but Christ, or A plain and familiar treatise of the knowledge of Christ, exciting all men to study to know Jesus Christ and him crucified, with a particular, applicatory, and saving knowledge, in diverse sermons upon I Cor. 2. 2. / By John Wall B.D. preacher of the word of God at Mich. Cornhill London.	Wall, John, 1588-1666.	1648 (1648)	Wing W469; Thomason E1139_1; ESTC R210079	152,329	343

a mystery and our understandings are blind and weak therefore we must drive as ●acob did according to the pace of our people Esa 28. 10. Christ taught them as they were able to hear it Matth. 4. 33. and as they were able to bear it Iohn 16. 12. And Paul professeth he had rather speak five words for edification then speak ten thousand words to work admiration It is not want of skill but the greatest art to make dark things plain if we had the tongue of Angels we could but communicate our notions to the understanding of another as that is the best glasse that showes the truest face and not that which is most curiously Optimus textuarius estoptimus Theologus wrought and set with Pearle clearnesse and perspicuity is the grace of speech A learned Divine being asked why he preached so plainly and did so much dilate in his sermons knowing him to be of such excellent abilities c. answered he was a fisherman now if they should wind up the net and so cast it into the sea they should catch nothing Dr. Praeston but when they spread the net I spread my net said he because I would catch the fish One brought Plate and silver-spoones to a Countrey faire where poor men looked on them and gazed only but scarce cheapned but went and bought up the wooden spoones Gay things in a 2 Sam. 18. 29. Sermon are only for men to gaze upon and admire like Ahimaaz that saw a tumult but knew not what it meant It s the fault of many ministers rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to turn Artists rather then Divines and to sore aloft with obscure discourses uncoth Epithites 1 Cor. 1. 4. of some cloudy Lycophroon and all to worke a vain admiration of them in the ignorant But Paul tels us he came to preach Iesus Christ to them and therefore he came not in excellency of words nor with entising 1 Cor. 2. 14 words of mans wisedome but with power as if he should say such preach with little power nay they make the Crosse of Christ of none effect they destroy Christ The king of Persia having sent to Aelian Hist l. 14. Antalcidas the Lacedemonian Captain a garland of Roses wonderfully perfumed with spices and other sophistications he accepted of his love but misliked the present and sent him word Rosarum odorem artis adulteratione perdidisti thou hast marred the sweetnesse of the Roses with the sweetnesse of thy perfumes Alas what are our fine flowers strains and flashes of wit but like gay weeds and blew bottles to the good corne or like the gayes to the matter in the book he that hath my word let him speak my word what is the chaffe to the wheat Ier. 23. 28. Alas we do but mingle our water with Gods wine The new born babe desires sincere milk not stuft with 1 Pet. 2. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moates and haires of mans pretty fancy The infant you know is better nourished with the naturall milk that comes from the mothers brest then with all other milk though never so sweetned with sugar and those flowers are best and sweetest that grow in the garden and not in the wildernesse Fine words are but the gay clothes of truth now truth is like Solomons spouse all glorious within and needs not outward adorning to make her amiable but as Adam in innocency she is most beautifull when most naked or if she doth appear in raiment Dr. Stought of needle work it is more for majesty then for gaudinesse Caution Not that we should be rude and unseemly in our speech but clothe our matter in decent words and not Barbarisme est aliqua frondium gloria the leaves give some beauty to the tree Good matter in an unseemly language is like a bright Taper in a sluttish candlestick or like a faire body in unhandsome clothes truth saith one loves to be plain but not sluttish as she loves not to be clad in gay colours like a wanton strumpet so not in lousie rags like a nasty creature Aarons bels were golden dulcé sonantes sounding pleasantly and not as sounding brasse or tinkling cymbals 2. Caution Nor yet that we should be nimis verbosi to tantologize battologize and be nothing but words like empty orators that have a flood of words a drop of matter Multa loquuntur nihil dicunt they speake much and yet say nothing because they say nothing to the purpose And as some delight in fine starcht phrases curious words so others in speaking in unknown tongues which the people understand not which are at the best but like a treasure concealed or a fountain sealed as Ptlotomy said to the 72. of the word till it were translated Others like the true Humanists that relish nothing but what is of man and have the studies of the Scriptures in base contempt as Pemble speaketh who delight to decke their sermons with humane writers not divine authority and the crabby quiddities and subtleties of the schoolmen and with the authority of the fathers in stead of preaching Christ and are of the opinion of Gerson that wise and learned chancellour of Paris they that saith he preferre moderne writers before the ancient are like children that love raw fruit more then that which is ripe but we know a Pigmy if he stands upon a Gyants shoulders may see further then he of whom we may say not as they said of Herods oration the voice of God and not of man but contrarily the voice of man but not of God I deny not but there may be good use of fathers and humane writers c. as handmaids to attend divine truths and give sight to truths already laid down in Scripture as Hagar did attend her mistresse namely as probable testimonies of dark and doubtfull truths or any way to cleare our judgements or quicken our affections as the Israelites did whet their swords at the Philistins forges or as a man would see the sun in a pail of water As he answered well one that said the Fathers are but as so many feathers be it so said he yet feathers well fastned to the arrow makes it flie the faster and wound the deeper But yet we must remember that we ever use them with these three Cautions First as witnesses not as Iudges nor as Eph. 2. 20 Matth. 11. 15. 3. 9 pillars of our faith let not your eares saith one be nailed to the door of any mans authority For divine faith must have divine testimony as Aug. speaks of Cyprian contra Crescon cap. 32. Quod non convenit cum Scripturis respuo Talis ego sum in scriptis aliorum tales esse volo intellectores meorum I regard not Cyprians authority any further then it agrees with the authority of the Scriptures 2. Secondly that we use them very sparingly as sauce and not as meat and making use of what they