Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A26845
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Non-conformity without controversie from Rom. chap. 12, ver. 2 : shewing that it is every Christian's duty to be a nonconformist to this world / by Benjamin Baxter, Preacher of the Gospel.
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Baxter, Benjamin, Preacher of the Gospel.
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1670
(1670)
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Wing B1171; ESTC R469
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49,814
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146
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the Rules of the Word both for judging of things and for practice 1. For the Rules prescribed us in the Word they are all pure I might name many but among others take these three 1. The VVord teacheth us to judg of things as God judgeth of them whose judgment is according to truth the judgment of the VVorld is according to appearance and corrupt phantasie 2. The Word teacheth us to judg of things as they have relation to the Soul That that is good which is good for the Soul which tends to the making of us more Holy and Heavenly 3. The Word teacheth us to judg of things to be good or evil as they relate to a man's future and eternal state So those things to be good that concern a man's eternal well being and those things to be evil that relate to eternal misery Thus for the Rules of judging of things Next for the Rules of Practice I shall name some of many to you you will find them all holy and pure 1. Is this Doing what pleaseth God not what pleaseth men Pleasing God whom ever we displease This is a Rule in the Word for practice it telleth us We should not be the servants of men to please their sinful humours and lusts and fancies 2. To do as the best do and not as the most do where by best we mean not the best of the Parish who are accounted so for their Riches and Lands and Possessions but the best in respect of Godliness and Holiness 3. In all things we do to prefer suffering before sinning To chuse Affliction rather than Sin It gives us to consider that the least evil of Sin hath more evil in it than the greatest evil of Suffering 4. In all we do to respect more inward than outward peace To regard most peace in our own Spirits and Consciences To remember what the Martyr said There were no Stocks to the Stocks of an evil Conscience To have a care to preserve the Bird in our bosome 5. Doing good and avoiding evil though with disadvantage to our selves when the good concerns eternal life and the disadvantage only this life Thus for some of the Rules for practice Next for the Patterns and Examples that the VVord of God holds out to us You will find them all holy having the Inscriptions of Heaven and Holiness on them So it propounds to us for our imitation the Examples First Of Jesus Christ Secondly Of Holy men and such as were Followers of Jesus Christ 1. Of Jesus Christ So it holds him out to us as our great Pattern to imitate It shews us the steps of his Humility Meekness Patience Obedience Holiness Heavenliness 2. It holds out to us the Examples of Holy men for our imitation more famous in their Generation than others for their Faith Piety Patience Holiness Zeal Heb. 6. 12 Be ye followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the Promises Consider the Scripture propounds to us for our example such as inherit the Promises of God the VVorld propounds such as inherit the Threatnings of God The Word propounds to us for our examples such as now are in Heaven The VVorld propounds such who for ought we know are either in Hell or in the road-way to Hell Now Christians I have given you a brief specimen and view of the VVorld's Rules and Examples and of those of the VVord and now compare them together and judg which are most worthy of your conformity Upon your comparing them together you will find the result to be this 1. That the Rules and Examples of the VVord are more high and noble and excellent than those of the VVorld The VVorld's Rules and Examples are low and base and a Christian debaseth himself in conforming to them they are below a Christian's Calling they are below a Christian's Spirit they are below a Christian's Profession they are below a Christian's Hope and Expectation and so must needs be too low for his conformity and imitation Man is an excellent Creature he was made a little lower than the Angels so that next to the Angels he is the most noble of Creatures And God that gave Man a noble Being gave him also a noble Rule to live and walk by As God made not man to be his own End neither did he make him to be his own Rule From whom he received his Being he was to receive his Rule His Rule was the Will and Law of his Creator and herein stood his excellency in conforming to that Rule When man conformed to another Rule he lost his excellency God made man upright but as Solomon saith they have found out many inventions So God made Man excellent but having found out other Rules to conform to than those of his Creator they have lost their excellency There was a high and noble Rule for a high and noble Creature and that Rule is the Rule of the Word which contains the revealed Will of the Creator 2. You will find this upon comparing them together That the Rules and Examples of the Word are more pure and holy than those of the World Consider what is said of the Word of God and what is said of the World Of the Word of God the Scripture saith it is pure very pure as Gold tryed in the fire seven times Of the World it 's said that it is sinful evil and that it lieth in wickedness Now as the Word is so are its Rules and as the World is so are its A pure Word hath pure Rules and an impure VVorld must needs prescribe impure Rules The higher things are the purer they are VVhat is Purity but a freeness from all Contagion and touch of inferior things That Gold is impure that is mixed with dross and that Face and Garment is defiled that is spotted with dirt Consider things are pure ex contactu superiorum the higher they are and the more heavenly the more pure And things are impure ex contactu inferiorum the lower things are the more impure Now upon this account the Rules and Precepts of the VVord most needs be the purest because they are must high holy heavenly There is no scoria no dross at all in them And as for the Examples of the VVord they are holy and heavenly ones that are propounded to us for our conformity and imitation Obj. It 's true some may here except against the Examples and say What was there no dross in them Had not the best Saints their failings and corruptions Were they perfectly pure without stain or blemish Ans To this we answer That the Examples and Patterns that the VVord of God holds out to us for our imitation are as I told you before of two sorts those 1. Of Jesus Christ 2. Of Holy men 1. The Example of Jesus Christ Now his Example is without and beyond all exception it is perfectly pure He hath left us his steps to tread in and upon view of them it wil never be found that he trod
report of those that are godly and that are really so Christ hath some chosen precious ones in the World redeemed from the World that are not of the world whose Names are written in Heaven who are Virgins i.e. who are not defiled nor spotted with the World's corruptions and pollutions you have a description of them Rev. 14. 4 c. such as vvalk in the steps of Christ here and shall vvalk vvith Christ in vvhite hereafter Novv consider Your not conforming to the World vvill gain the good report of these What the Apostle saith Heb. 11. 2. By faith the Elders obtained a good report may I say By this Nonconformity you vvill obtain a good report from those that are truly and sincerely good Novv compare this gain vvith the fore-mentioned loss What is it to lose the good vvord of a Drunkard a Swearer a filthy wicked prophane person and to be vvell reported of by those that are holy and pious Let me tell you Next to God's Approbation the Approbation of those that are godly is most desirable What comfort vvill this give a man upon his dying-bed that all the Drunkards and Prophane persons in the Countrey commend him and speak vvell of him Our Saviour said Wo to you when all men shall speak well of you and surely then Wo to that man of vvhom none can speak vvell but only such as are vvicked 2. By not conforming to the World you vvill not only gain a good report from godly men but also from God himself let me tell you They are such as God makes high account of whom Jesus Christ highly priseth and vvhom the Angels in Heaven rejoice over Look but into Scripture and see hovv highly God commends those vvho are Nonconformists to the men of their generation The Apostle in Heb. 11. speaks of the Faith of the holy men of old as Enoch of vvhom it 's said he walked with God and of Noah who by building the Ark upon the vvarning he had from God condemned the World Let me tell you vvhat the Apostle speaks of all them there in relation to their Faith we may speak of them in relation to their Nonconformity to the world that as the Apostle saith v. 2 by Faith they obtained a good report so by their Nonconformity to the world What was Enoch but a Nonconformist What was Noah but a Nonconformist to the men of his generation What were Abraham and Isaac and Jacob but Nonconformists to the world when it is expresly said of them v. 13. that they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth that they did look after a better Countrey i.e. a heavenly one What was Moses but a Nonconformist to this World who refused to be called the son of Pharoah's daughter who chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season who esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt This is an eminent and high demonstration of his Nonconformity to the World And so I might speak of the rest who were all persons of whom the world was not worthy who obtained a good report from God and of whom we may say as the Apostle doth Heb. 11. 13. All these dyed in faith So all these lived and dyed Nonconformists to the World How highly and honourably doth the Lord in Scripture speak of these Nonconformists Non doubt but the men of their generation looked upon them as men singular factious humorous as such that delighted to be unlike their Neighbours But the Lord speaks of them as excellent and precious and such of whom the World was not worthy Now compare these together and see whether is better To be well reported of by the World or to be well reported of by God What though the World account such precise Fools if the Lord call such the only wise in the world It is not whom the World commends but whom God commends that are praise-worthy indeed Moses in the blessing of Joseph Deut. 33. 16. he wisheth to him the good-will of him that dwelt in the bush To have the good-will and the good-word of God is that that is most desirable in this life 3. That you may be Nonconformists to this World Be much in comparing together Rules and Patterns Those of the Word and those of the World Take a view of both and then consider these three things First Which are most worthy your conformity Secondly To which you are most obliged and engaged to conform Thirdly By your conformity to which you shall most benefit and advantage your selves First Consider whether the Rules and Examples of the Word or of the World be most worthy of your conformity So consider 1. What the World's Rules and Commands and Prescriptions are You will find them to be all corrupt erroneous base unclean unholy And you will find its Examples such likewise The Rules it hath by which it doth and acts things and by which it judgeth of things are all naught Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean saith Job And how can a filthy and unclean World prescribe Rules that are otherwise Take a survey of its Rules 1. For judging of things It makes this one of its great Rules by which it judgeth of things Whether they be Good or Evil by the suitableness or unsuitableness there is in them to sinful flesh and corrupt nature I might name many other Rules of the like nature but for brevity's sake I omit them 2. For its Rules for practice they are sinful and corrupt too I shall name you some viz. To do as the most do is one Rule To do as the greatest do is another Rule To do as our Ancestors and Fore-fathers did who lived in dark and corrupt times is another Rule To do what respects our outward ease and credit and quiet in this world that we may sleep in a whole skin is another Rule In a word To do what is good in our own eyes and to do what tends to the pleasing and gratifying of our lusts is another Rule I might name more but let these suffice Next for the World's Patterns and Examples take a view of them You will find them all corrupt and naught If you look with a right eye upon them you will find they all have ugly base sinful inscriptions on them as of Prophaneness Drunkenness Swearing Covetousness Pride Luxury Uncleanness and of all Ungodliness Atheism Indifferency in Religion Lukewarmness Denying the power of Godliness c. Such are the World's Examples And so I have shew'd you what the World's Rules for judging and practice are and what its Patterns and Examples are All naught 2. Now I shall come to shew you what the Rules and Examples of the Word are that so upon comparing them together you may see which are most worthy of your conformity As for the Rules of the Word they are holy they are pure they are perfect so are all