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	lord_n	word_n	3,012	5	3.9367	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90725	The duty & honour of church-restorers: set forth in a sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons, Septemb. 30. 1646. Being the day of the monethly solemne fast, at Margarets Westminster. / By Herbert Palmer, B.D. minister of Gods Word at Ashwell in Hertfordshire, and a member of the Assembly of Divines.	Palmer, Herbert, 1601-1647.	1646 (1646)	Wing P230; Thomason E355_22; ESTC R201122	56,005	70

work with one hand and hold weapons with the other c. Now it is not so ever with every one and particularly those that are not willing to fast for God or unto God they are not likely to be of their own good will among the number of Gods builders But those that have a spirit of devotion put into them will also be forward for any other service God hath for them to do and that conscience which hath wrought them to those duties of justice and charity together with their fasting will also stir them up to all those performances which concern the Churches edification Now as men usually do set those awork in any thing who have a minde to that imployment so doth God and in that respect he here promises to imploy and assist such in this work for this Church 3. Reason 3 They and they only will be faithfull in the work which they take in hand and build the Church to purpose and not minde the building of their own houses or making their own fortunes as the phrase is they who have made proof of their self denial and zeal for God in Devotions Fastings and exercise of justice and mercy the same principles will keep them from false by asses and carnal respects which would marre the work of Reformation in their hands There are too many that seem willing and are indeed forward to be imployed toward the Churches building but that which they do is only with a squint eye with base regard unto themselves and their own private interests commodities and conveniencies and further then that they act not but rather pervert the work then prejudice or hinder their own private advantages Now here again as men willingly will chuse to imploy such as will be faithfull in the work they take in hand and not wholly look unto their own gain so care not how slightly they do the work so they may make the more advantage to themselves So it is with God he sees who they are that have faithfull hearts and he sees it even in their former fidelity and therefore he will imploy such It is recorded for the perpetuall praise of those that were imployed to set men a work in repairing the Temple in Jehojadah's time 2 Kings 12.13 that they dealt so faithfully as that neither the King nor the High-Priest nor any of their Officers did reckon with them for the money that they had received their fidelity was so apparant as that every one saw there was no need of calling them to an account And the same is afterward recorded in Josiah's time 2 Kings 22.7 Now we know it is not so with every one every one that is imployed doth not so deserve to be confided in but God discerns this spirit in whom soever it is and what opinion soever men have of any of his servants he both sees their faithfulnesse and the unfaithfulnesse of others and accordingly puts such into his work and prospers them in it 4. Such will glorifie God and blesse him for blessing them Reason 4 and not take the honour to themselves nor give it away from God to men we see how Nehemiah at every time hath recourse to God in prayer and makes acknowledgement of Gods assistance and blessing but other men will not do so they that cannot afford to humble themselves to God in solemne religious fasting or that have no zeal for justice or no love to mercy if they do any thing that carries any shew of worth in it they will make their boast of it for their own vain glory to ascribe the praise of it to those who are only Gods instruments therefore God delights in his humble and faithfull servants and will blesse their labours with successe even above others And these are the reasons of Gods promising to imploy and prosper such But this is not all that is promised here but honour also Thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach the restorer of paths to dwel in And now the reasons which concern this honour promised Why God wil honour them are five 1. God takes certain notice of what his servant do more or lesse whether men do so or not See Nehem. 3. Reas 1 a Chapter little observed and many that look upon it are ready to wonder why there is such a Record in Scripture But it is of excellent use to inform us what exact observation God takes of what men do in his work there you finde what every one of the builders did and how much from such a place to such a place and of one it is said he and his Daughters even the womens pains are not overlooked and such of such a trade the Goldsmiths and the Apothecaries and of the Tekoites that their Nobles did not put their necks to the work and yet those Tekoites and some others did a second piece of work after they had done their first tract All this God there declares that he looked upon and hath caused it to be recorded for all posterities to their honour 2. Reas 2 God also takes notice with what affection men works in his service in that Chapter againe it is said of some that they earnestly repaired such a part and chapter .. that the people had a minde to the work God sets it down for their honour and he will remember them for it and men shall remember it with honour for the great zeal and sincerity earnestnesse and singlenesse of heart wherewith they did any thing for him and his Church these things he distinctly observes according to the Record he hath caused to be made of Hez-kiah for his perpetuall honour 2 Chron 31.20 21. Thus did Hezekiah throughout all Iudeah and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God See here how notice is taken of his universal care for his whole kingdome and not for one part only and what multiplicity of words are used to expresse his integrity and fidelity he wrought that which was good and right and truth and that not before men simply but before the Lord his God and then it is added in the last verse and in every work that he began in the service of the house of God and in the Law and in the Commandements to seek his God he did it with all his heart and prospered in it Here again is vatiety of words to expresse his readinesse and universall faithfulnesse and that accordingly God honoured him with blessing and successe and all posterities are made to honour him according to that testimony of God in his behalf 3. Reas 3 God also takes notice of whatsoever his servants suffer in his work Hear O God for we are despised Neham 4.4 and else where he prayes to the same purpose God observes how they not only lay out themselves and spend their strength and their substance but also how hereby they provoke enemies against themselves and how far the enemies malignity and opposition against them

he would have done much more if we had not provoked him in being wanting to our duties Oh that it might sadly lie upon all our hearts as private persons as publike as Magistrates and Ministers Governours of families Parliament men Assembly-men or who ever we are that the particularities in the Doctrines as they have been opened might affect us with our failings in devotion justice charity desires and endeavours for the Churches restauration and prosperity If we would lay them seriously to heart we could not but find great cause of lamentation that there are such wofull cries of so many oppressed souls of so many bodies ready to perish and souls also for want of mercy shewen to them Besides is there not in many parts of the Kingdome still perpetual desolation Countries that have been for many generations most of them like a howling wildernesse in reference to any spiritual building or builders among them And in how few places are any foundations raised up or rather are they not in many places much shaken or even ready to be blown up and many a breach never yet repaired but rather more increased many leaving their paths and habitations so far from paths being generally restored to dwell in And are we not every one of us too much guilty of these things If I know my own heart or if I know any thing of religion I know no body that is able to excuse them wholly before God of all these things so that the complaint that God makes against Israel when he would have reformed them may certainly be applied to us God will apply it with but the change of the phrase Hos 7.1 When I would have healed Israel then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered and the wickednesse of Samaria So may he most justly say When I would have healed England then the iniquity of the body of the Country and the wickednesse of the chief City and chiefest Persons was discovered witnes the rottennes of her pillars and the brittlenes of her walls the unsoundnes of her foundations Who would have thought there had been among us so many unsound Professors as have discovered themselves so many self-seeking pretenders of zeal for the publike good who have only regarded their private interests so many ungrounded unstable souls who believe nothing but what they have not heard contradicted love nothing but what serves their fancies and humours with whom Parliaments Assembly Covenant Confederate brethren Ministers Sacraments Sabbath Scriptures Christ himself and the Holy Spirit are all nothing And yet such Opposers are sometimes and by some spared pleaded for if not hugged and loved beyond the most deserving Patriots and most faithfull builders If we consider the Fasts we keep have we not cause to be humbled for our untoward humiliations for with how many are our Fasts grown a burden if not a reproach And if they do keep them at all may it not be said in another sence then the Prophet means it in the Text that they afflict their soules for a day they afflict themselves that they are forced to such unpleasant penances and even vexe at the time wherein they seem to give attendance upon the duties of the day And do not many also usually on this day find pleasure which they will have after they are once gone hence and though I am not with them in their houses to see it yet God is and he sees it in many even men may see many things that make it very suspitious yea are there not many that do professedly eat and that in the middle of the day even without the least shew of necessity to excuse them and so do not fast at all and I much doubt that many also exact their labours of their servants whatsoever they do themselves of which our thin Congregations upon these dayes give a sad cause of jealousie And in fine how few are there that make shew of any thing of all that they seem to regard in their humiliation and devotions beyond a day And if this be the general account of most of us upon these dayes we have then no cause to brag of our Fasts And what shall I say about Justice and Charity or Mercy My heart trembles to think upon a sad Dilemma that will necessarily lye upon our spirits it cannot be denied but that there is a great cry of injustice and oppression and unmercifulnesse now either this cry is causelesse and then those clamorous complainers are guilty of most unthankfull injustice or if they be true then are those against whom they are made guilty of great unthankfulnesse to God and of injustice with a witnesse Let us therefore consider a little what those cryes mean as Samuel said to Saul when he would needs have justified himself 1 Sam. 15. What means the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the Oxen that I bear what mean the outcries against Committees every where against those that have the administration of justice in their hands God of old complains of his Vineyard that when he looked for judgement behold oppression and for righteousnesse and behold a try Esay 5. Whatsoever there be he beholds and sees it and if there be any cry he hears it though men minde it not as himself tels us in the verse that follows the words lately quoted from Hos 7. For thus he saith Vers 2. And they consider not that I remember all their wickednesse now their own doings have beset them about they are before my face Let us therefore consider it I beseech you and particularly that which I cannot forbear remembring the loud clamours of poor men that say they have served the State of Souldiers and even Commanders their Wives Children Widowes Friends those that tell how they have ventured and given and lent and afforded their commodities and done service and are now ready to perish If there be any truth in these cryes and that there should be any supply found for them there is doubtlesse a great deal of cause to be humbled for it specially by all those that lay Gods Word to their hearts must we not remember and if we do can we chuse but tremble to think of it what the Apostle James speaks cap. 5. v. 4. It is a sad expression against the rich men of his time Behold the hire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields which is of you kept back by fraud crieth and the cries of them which have reaped are entred into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath If the hire of any hath not been kept back by fraud in one sense yet it may be in another if any have been paid only with promises or with delayes where means hath been to help them this is fraud specially to tell them there is no means to help them or promise them and fail so if there be means for others wh● need it lesse at the present and perhaps deserve it lesse and nothing be to be had for