Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	good_a	word_n	1,776	5	3.8038	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85121	A plain-dealing, and plain-meaning sermon, preach't in the parish church of St. Nicholas, Bristol, April. 6. 1660. Being the day appointed by the Parliament for publique fasting and humiliation for the sins of the nation, &c. Together with a prefatory epistle, and subsequent vindication both of the sermon, and author. Wherein (besides an apology for home and plain-preaching) you have something offered to allay the heat of thier stomacks, and to temper the tongues of those, who (being ignorant in scripture) reproach and revile Presbytery and Presbyters. With some hints at Satans subtlety, and the mischief of those people, who brand zeal for God and truth (in free, home, and faithfull preaching) with the reproachful names of anger, passion, and railing.	Farmer, Ralph.	1660 (1660)	Wing F443; Thomason E1025_5; ESTC R208684	39,155	50

reverent person To end with him he tells us These are not times to palliate and speak smooth and soft things Never age had fouler humours or tumours more felt and more painfull more hard and less mollified And sayes No as he would not injure any man or fester the times so he abhorr'd to flatter them which is the greatest injury a Preacher can do to Church and State And now I must confess the subject of my discourse was not of so high a nature nor had I to do with so high an Auditory Nor am I fit for such an undertaking nor have I quoted all this to any such purpose But to let our petty world here at home know that plain free home and as this worthy Doctor phrases it personal preaching is not such a sin as our Ignaro's would make it And that though people be angry with us for such preaching we must not cease to secure our conscience in the faithfull though unpleasing discharge of our duty And good Reader know That as a necessity is laid upon those who are sent to preach So a necessity is likewise laid upon them to deale punctually and particularly with the personall sinnes I don't say naming the persons of those they preach to which if they do they shall be sure to heare on 't If not with persecution of the hand yet with persecution of the tongue And whereas some may say this or that in such or such a Sermon might have been forborn Perhaps we may say so too But if we whom the Lord hath sent to do his work And in our Studies applying our selves unto it having besought the Lord to teach us what to speak and how to speak as may be most for his glory and the peoples good And it be suggested to us that such or such expressions would be most taking or best remembred Our discourse thus and thus clothed in language would be most effectual and conducent to the end intended If we are thus perswaded in our Consciences How shall we refuse it Obj. It may be 't will offend displease some They 'l cavill at it Ans It may be so We hope not We know no reason for it Wee 'l pray they may not But is it a necessary truth Is it usefull and seasonable Is good like to be done by it which is our errand and businesse Must we forbear that which God in our Consciences according to his Word tells us will do some people good because it will offend others Truly friends we Preachers many times offend yea hurt others when we know it not nor ever meant or intended it But is it our fault or theirs We meane the whole Congregation good If any do not understand or mis-understand or mis-interpret or pervert our words or meaning Is it our fault I tell you Sirs this great truth and minde it Much hurt yea more hurt then good is many times nay most times done by our Sermons And we Preachers in that not to be blamed but are accepted of God therein and shall be rewarded It 's a sad word too true to many that we further their damnation by our preaching That one place 2 Cor. 2.14,15,16 ver fully proves all this And whence all this But because people do not heed as they ought what we say Or they don't understand it Or they won't practice it Or which is worst of all they withstand gainsay pervert or wrest it And what must we therefore forbear preaching Must we forbear the truth because they abuse it And perhaps us for it I trow not And let me put another Case It may be God by his Spirit for we hope we are not without his imbreathings and suggestions according to his word convinces and perswades me that such or such a truth as before is very seasonable and usefull And in steps selfe and tells me This truth is teo tart and it may create me trouble I may heare ill and beare ill for speaking it What shall I do in this case Why truly Selfe is sometimes to be hearkned to For we are not to create to our selves trouble unnecessarily But as before it is a truth necessary and seasonable May I for fear forbear it Will you read what one no phanatick or of a factious or turbulent spirit sayes A man of great parts learning and judgement Dr. Jackson Dr. Jackson heretofore President of Corp Christi Colledg in Oxford In his Treatise of Justifying Faith sect 2. cap. 15. pag. 279 Ministers of the Gospel sayes he may deny Christ or manifest their ashamedness of his Gospel as directly by not laying his Law as closely to the great Herods of the world as John Baptist did supposing the case to be as notorious and as well known unto them he meanes the Ministers as Herods was to John Baptist In this case they may as directly deny Christ or be asham'd of his Gospel in not dealing plainly and reproving as if they had been afraid to confesse him for feare of being put out of the Synagogue c. And he says were John Baptists kind of preaching used in many Kingdoms though by such as professe the same Religion with the Potentates whom they should offend with their boldness I think sayes he it would prove matter of Martyrdome in the end And he farther sayes In that any age since Christian Religion was first propagated hath wanted store of Martyrs 't is more to be a tributed unto the negligence ignorance and hypocrisie or want of courage in Christs Ambassadors or appointed Pastors then unto the sincerity mildnesse or fidelity of the Flock especially of the Bel-weathers or chief Ring-leaders And now friend sare we Ministers thus in danger what shall we do Truly we have more need of your pitty and your prayers then your censures and reproaches But jacta est alea It 's better obey God and fear God then men and please God then men Or our selves either for in so doing we shall have peace with him and in our own consciences which is better then all the peace and comforts the world can afford us And therefore we will bear it patiently comfortably But yet because Sathan makes no small advantage of those reproaches that are cast upon the Ministers of the Gospel of which farther in the vindication I shall once more appear in Print though much aginst my purpose to stop the mouth either of prejudice or wilfull calumny or sottish and sleepy ignorance or byast interest which will pervert any thing be it never so innocent and harmlesse And this not without the advice and counsell of some worthy friends and well-wishers who have been very sensible of those unworthy rumours that have bin raised spread by occasion of this ensuing Sermon which I shall now good Reader lay before thee according to mine owne notes and the best I could get of those who noted after me Possibly this trouble might be brought upon me that some may reap benefit by this Sermon or appendant

as wilfull and reiterated sins and wickednesses If you still do wickedly you shall be destroyed both you and your King You did wickedly before and what became of your King was it your wickednesse or his Many of you will not say it was his And if you still do wickedly the next King for ought I know may fare as he did therefore take heed of sin Beloved I propose this one thing to you it was either the sin of the King the Father that brought the evill upon him or the sin of the People or both together If his own sinne then the judgement was just upon him as to God though not in them who did it But if it was the sin of the people let me ask you will not that which ruin'd the Father ruine the Son If you still do wickedly you shall be destroyed both you and your King Surely Kings Princes and chief Magistrates are least beholding to drunkards to murderers to prophane persons to unclean lascivious persons to those that wallow in the stinking puddle and nasty dunghill of sin Kings and Princes are least of all beholding unto them for they draw down judgement upon the whole Nation These persons though they look for a morning of joy and gladness upon the Nation yet will surely bring a dismal night of sorrow notwithstanding their expectations And therefore Come let us return unto the Lord that as he hath torn us for our sins so he may binde us up and as he hath broken us for our transgressions so he may heale us upon our returning Here 's incouragement which is the second part of the Text. Of which a little Friends none but he that smites us can beale us none but he that tear's can binde us up All other Physitians all other Chyrurgions they are but meer Quacks and Empericks We may say of them as Job of his friends Job 13.4 Ye are forgers of lies ye are physitians of no value And beloved have we not found it so in our State Mountebancks who have set up their Stages that they might pick our Pockets and made us bow down that they might ride over us Have we not found that of David verified Men of high degree are a lie and men of low degree are altogether vanity Are they to be trusted in Is there any more weight in them then in the dust of the ballance O let us return therefore unto the Lord for he hath broken us and he will heale us he hath smitten us and he onely can binde us up He hath here promised it if we return as before unto him And beloved consider this as God wounds and smites by his instruments so he also heals and binds up by instruments The enemies of Gods people God makes use of as the rod in his hand to chastise and correct his Children for their sins and he also raises up instruments to deliver them from their sufferings In Esay 58. there you have a promise made that the just and righteous shall build the old waste places shall raise up the foundations of many generations and shall be called the repairer of the breach the restorer of the paths to dwell in Do you look for happy dayes in England Would you have the Old waste places built and the breaches repaired Why then see what the Lord requires of you Read that place fore-quoted Isa 58.6 Is not this the Fast that I have chosen c. This is a day wherein you fast and humble your selves to seek establishment Well will you see what Fast the Lord requires Loose the bands of wickednesse undo every heavy burthen let the oppressed go free and that ye break every heavy yoke It is to deale thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house When thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thine owne flesh Then shall thy light break forth as the morning and thine health shall spring forth speedily c. And vers 12. They that be of thee shall build the old waste places thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations c. Though our government hath layn in the dust these many yeares and though we have had a dark and black night upon us yet God can cause our light to break forth as the morning he can raise us up some to build our waste places to be repairers of our breaches and restorers of paths to dwell in But I say the promise is to good and righteous men These are the men if any that must lay the foundations not prophane loose wretches enemies to all righteousnesse the Lord in mercy keep such out of that great Assembly of Parliament And if any get in the Lord in his wisdome find out a way to cast them out again Beloved nothing but justice and truth and righteousnesse and mercy can heale a broken Nation let us then this day and every day else beg of God that he would graciously be pleased to be present with and to sit President in and over that great Councel of the Land that they may break off every yoke and take off every heavy burthen and keep off all unjust yokes and heavy burthens that any whatsoever would impose upon us That so that great Assembly may be a repairer of our breaches and a restorer of our paths to dwell in Let us pray that both they and all we may be more carefull to bring King Jesus into our hearts then K. Charles into his Throne Not as if I looked on these two as contradictory opposite or destructive the one unto the other But thus I tell you King Jesus is to be preferred before any mortall creature whatsoever And if he that shall rule be carefull to rule according to Truth and under King Jesus If God and the great Council of the Nation shall think fit Let him come and welcom But sirs let me tell you King Charles cannot save your soules but if King Jesus rule in your hearts he can and will save you What would it advantage you if all of you had your hearts desire here If things go even as you would wish and yet when Death comes you should be drag'd to Hell to endlesse torments what would it advantage you Be not then so mad as to pursue worldly concernments or worldly comforts with such eagernesse But above all seek and pursue after things of everlasting concernment And I tell you no mortall King can save your souls and therefore let us most look that King Jesus his reign and government may be established over us See his sweet and gracious government Isa 32. begin Behold a King shall reign in righteousnesse and Princes shall rule in judgement and a man shall be as a hiding place from the winds and a covert from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry land as the shadow of a great rocke in a weary land c. Ther 's a description given of

to beat down error and blasphemy where-ever it met him He could not bear with them that preacht down Paedobaptisme the Christian Sabboth Universities Schools of Learning Ordination and other ordinances and institutions of Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 4.3 as it was prophesied that some would not endure sound Doctrine so he would not endure unsound Doctrine He sayes he could not bear with seducers nor they with him so that by this means he became a man of contention And yet he commends him for a man of a tender spirit mortified to the world free and liberall much in fasting and prayer And yet he sayes he had his share in the persecution of the Times wherein he lived from his very first entrance upon his Ministery according to the prophesie of our Saviour Mat. 5.11,12 And truly says he It had been a wonder if he should have escap't it For as our Lord subjoyns the reason to his prediction of the Apostles sufferings ver 13. his Ministry was salt He was salt in his life and salt in his doctrine Not onely savoury but quicke and corroding smart and searching which corrupt times and ulcer'd consciences could not bear 2 Tim. 4.3 And this says he inrag'd inflam'd the spirits of unsound men and raised much trouble and persecution against him wheresoever he came which occasioned him often to flit from one place to another to avoid the fury of unreasonable men And he sayes other of Gods saithful Ministers have had their share with him in this kind of persecution Matth. 10.23 The world cannot bear the plain-dealing of Gospel-Ministers None so hated as the reprover in the gate Amos 5.10 They hate him that rebuketh in the gate and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly And now as to the thing it self which some call anger and passion but indeed is zeal and faithfulness I cannot leave till I give you in what this Reverend man hath to that purpose and it 's hugely considerable and advantagious He asserts That the affection of anger rightely qualified and managed is of singular use and advantage in the life and worke of a Christian especially of a Minister of the Gospel which ought in no wise to be branded with the usual scandal of choler and passion They are his words all I make no question sayes he the false prophets and their seduced proselytes stuck not to blast the holy Prophet he means Elias in my Text with the same reproach a furious man a man of an intemperate and unbridled spirit that valued not mens lives but in his anger would not stick to call downe fire from heaven to destroy an hundred men at a time c. But saith he let me mind you of this in the general The passion of anger with other affections in nature at what time the person in whom they are is regenerate they do change their nature become regenerate too And being baptized with the blood and spirit of Jesus Christ they receive divine impressions and so passe into the catalogue of gracious affections and dispositions and become instruments of exceeding honour and service in the hand of Jesus Christ who is pleased to make use of them in his own work And then instances in divers and among the rest Passion saith he born again of water and the spirit becometh the grace of zeale and holy jealousie for God and for the interest of Jesus Christ Anger sanctified is that to the affections which edge is to the instrument which varnish is to colours which winde is to the sails of a Ship Judgement is the ballast but zeal is the full gale It is as mettle to the horse It is the activity of every grace every affection red hot for Jesus Christ which much water cannot quench neither can the floods drown it Cant. 8.7 In a word Passion refined and spiritualiz'd is every faculty of the soul acting to its height for the glory of God Psal 69.9 The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up To be short Sanctified anger in the Saints of God is not that which the world takes it to be a short madness but a grace of the spirit of God Yea it is a compound and temperament of all graces acting in summo gradu in the height of intention for the promoting of the concernments of Christs Kingdome I told you before that Elias was a useful man though he was subject to passion I shall tell you more now He was therefore so usefull BECAUSE he was subject to passion His anger and passion being sanctified made him so abundantly active for God and the reformation of the publique worship doctrine and Ordinances in his generation Had he wanted his passion he had wanted some of his zeal for God And so was it says he with our worthy brother deceased That which an idle wanton loose luke-warm generation of Professors as well as prophane persons for the palliating of their own hypocrisie and Gallio-like indifferency in matters of Religion called passion and choler in him was indeed and in truth nothing but his zeal and courage and activity for Jesus Christ which truly did even consume him Alas In this apostate generation all things have lost their proper names The Devil appears in Samuels mantle Satan in the form of an Angel of light And sin puts on the habit of vertue that it may deceive the more safely Thus lukewarmness and cursed neutrality in Religion passeth abroad for meekness and sweetness of spirit Carnal policy for Christian prudence Cursed compliance with the lusts of men for moderation and command of a mans spirit c. While zeal and fidelity to the Truth ordinances and government of Jesus Christ hear ill in the world and suffer all the odium and scandal that a reviling world and the venemous wit of malice can heap upon it Truly the earth is not able to bear their words Thus this reverend and worthy man for whose pains herein I thank him and thank God for him and for his providence that brought this piece to my hand at a time so seasonable as I do also for the work of that worthy and ingenuous Dr. to whom I owe so much for my Preface In matters of this nature which are of proper concernment it is better to deal by others words then our own For by this it will appear we are not alone in our judgement and manner of procedure in discharge of our duty nor in suffering for it There is one exception more which some make against my discourse which is It was unseasonable And to this I briefly answer It 's plain these persons who urge this are not acquainted with the Topicks and proper seats of arguments deliberative or perswasive I did and do conceive that if I might be so free as to make use of the respects of the people to the King at any time and from thence to dehort them from sin and to perswade them to turn to the Lord that so both King and people may be by