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	scripture_n	spirit_n	3,143	5	5.2045	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77987	Habakkuks prayer applyed to the churches present occasions, on Hab. 3. 2. And Christs counsel to the church of Philadelphia, on Rev. 3. 11. / Preached before the provincial assembly of London. By that late reverend and faithful minister of Jesus Christ Mr. Samuel Balmford, pastor of Albons Woodstreet.	Balmford, Samuel, d. 1659?	1659 (1659)	Wing B608; Thomason E1910_2; ESTC R209972	36,857	123

die out of the snuffe so is it in Spiritual cases unlesse we be somewhat fervent for truth and holinesse for Church-Ordinances and Discipline we shall quickly leave acting for them and be at a losse of them Therefore be fervent in Spirit And to direct our aimes and intentions in it know lastly according to that Scripture that we must look at the Lords service as serving the Lord we must be fervent in Spirit and not sloathful in businesse The Apostle bids ordinary servants do their Masters service not as looking to them onely but to the Lord Ephes 6. 7. Col. 3. 23. How much more then should they approve themselves to the Lord with all fervency of Spirit whose service and businesse is about the matters of God and his house These considerations surely may be helpful to Church-Officers and Members to hold fast what they have 5. If we be resolved for constancy in holding fast what good we have then let us shew our selves lovers and observers of all good Orders Enemies to Order are Enemies to Constancy Both together availe much for great issues and atchievements But pervert or disturb the former and you subvert or breake the latter cryers down of all Forms are monstra informia unshapen Monsters as opposite to God in their endeavours as may be for whereas God brought a bountiful Creation out of a Chao's They would reduce all into a Chao's again might they have their will or wishes for ought appears by their words Plainly therefore would we retaine either soundnesse of Doctrine or holinesse of life we must pray and endeavour to keep good order in all Church-Administrations Marke that of the Apostle in Colos 2. 5. Rejoycing saith he and beholding your order and the stedfastnesse of your faith in Christ He joynes Order with stedfastnesse and puts Order though the less before stedfastnesse of faith though the greater because Order conduceth much unto stedfastness And wherefore is there so much unstedfastnesse this day among our people even about the most important points of Faith but because they are all out of Order No Rule held over them their Traces cut the Reins cast upon their necks and the communalty of them unskilful to rule themselves I speak in reference to Spirituals They wander from one Church unto another now they are in one Conventicle or Assembly and then in another In one place they meet with some good Principles it may be but in another with bad and gather matter of corruption of minde and practice one piece after another and how then should they hold fast what good they had How much then doth it concern us all in our several places to keep Order and Rules of Government And would to God our Rulers at length would powerfully help us all to keep such as may be sound undoubtedly approveable 6 Exercise patience as this Church did ver 10. keeping the word of Christs patience not only the rule prescribing patience but patience it self prescribed by that rule For patience is necessary unto perseverance in a good profession in a good practice whether publickly or privately The impatient person doth not possess his own soul see Luk. 21. 19. he hath not an hold fast of him self and therefore what else can he hold fast If we would like good plants retain our moisture our sustenance and bring forth fruit to perfection it must be with patience Luke 8. 15. If we would do the will of God according to our places throughly and constantly so as to receive the promises we have need of patience Hebr. 10. 36. Wherefore do so many depart from God and turn from his truth and will and way but because they are impatient and will not wait Gods leisure till he vindicate his own cause or means effectually for the clearing up of Controversies and reforming of things amiss and so falling a mourning that things are carried crosse unto their former Principles and perswasions they fling out and are carried headily any way that may give them most present contentment whatever it may do afterward But not to tire your patience too long 7. Approve we our selves right Philadelphians that is according to the Etymon of the word Brotherly lovers and lovers of the Brethren See 1 Thes 4. 9. But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another Heb. 13. 1. Let brotherly love continue Without this we cannot keep long in any good order nor keep in patience long c. Nor which is the main keep long in the possession and practice of truth and holiness Mark that Context Ephes 12 3. Forbearing one another in love Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace If we break in point of love we quickly break the bond of peace and love being broken we cannot long keep the unity of the Spirit what is that Unity in the disposition of our spirits in judgements and affections But there must be more then that viz. 2. Unity of our spirits in assent and adherence to Gods Spirit his Doctrines his Principles his Ordinances that so our unity may be evidenced to be 3. Unitiy wrought by the Holy Spirit of God knitting us together as Members of one Mystical body after a Spiritual and Mystical manner To the keeping of this I say brotherly love is requisite No marvel therefore if we hold not fast what we had I speak of the common hold fast since there is such want of brotherly love among us since our people are fallen into so many Divisions and breaches A condition with tears of blood to be lamented And O that all Sardenses and Laodiceans about us would transire in castra or rather in tentoria Philadelphensium Then might we see happy times and God can bring them on when he pleaseth Mean while let us Beloved shew our selves right Philadelphians of an humble meek loving gentle yet a couragious and tenacious spirit to hold fast true Doctrine and Discipline holinesse of life and conversation Our love one toward another will strengthen the hearts and hands one of another and the failing of it as much weaken us c. Let Angels and Officers of Churches think of this in the first place who are to be Lights and Guides to others in the wayes of Love and Peace But then all the Members of our Churches in their several places And to close all Let us shew our selves Philadelphians in our sympathetical affections in love towards our Brethren of the reformed Churches beyond the Seas and of neighbouring Nations because we all profess to hold the same good things of God both for Doctrine and Discipline for the main substance of it More specially sympathize with them who are now in an hour of temptation to try them Pray that though they could not hold fast what they had in Houses Lands and other outward possessions nor Ministers nor Churches nor their nearest relations many of them yet they may hold fast true faith and good consciences to the end as many of those that have been massacred already did to the end as divers of their Ancestors also did see many foregoing Generations And contribute also toward them in love for the relief of their necessities as we shall be shortly called upon to do in our respective places Now who so in the use of such meanes shall hold fast that which he hath of Truth and Grace and persevering overcome Christ promiseth him in the verse following that he will make him pillar in the Temple of his God and he shall goe no more out A verse very well worthy our attendance unto a further explanation of it but the time now cuts me off c. FINIS

calls upon us to hold fast the profession of our hope without wavering without declining or tottering any way therefore in a fixed and firmly setled manner Heb. 10. 23. 2. Vigorous putting forth of strength in the way of contestation with others for the maintenance and defence of Truth and Purity of Doctrine and Worship and holy Government and practice so farre as is warrantable in a regular way We are to contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the Saints Jude 3. and to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free that we be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage Gal. 5. 1. Quest But what need is there of such strong actings to hold fast Truth and Holinesse Answ There is need of some strength in a double respect 1. To hold up against inward faintings and languishings We know that every thing is ready to fall and drop out of our hands when our natural spirits faile within us and we are faine to take Cordials sometimes to strengthen our stomacks to retain what is taken down which otherwise either through nauseousness or other weaknesse would be quickly cast up again So it is too often in the case of the failing of gracious spirits in Christians through spiritual faintings they are too ready to let fall divers truths of God and to stick in the profession of them and to let fall practical exercise of holiness and 〈◊〉 let dissolve away the regular assemblings of themselves together And all this either through a nauseating wearinesse of such things by the great gathering of ill humours or through some causelesse fearfull pusillanimous apprehensions And therefore said Christ to the Church at Sardis ver 2. strengthen the things that remain which are ready to dye The remaining good things in a Church of Christ are sometimes through the weaknesse of inward Principles ready to languish and dye away and therefore need be strengthened Again there is need of strength 2ly To retain against external violences or forcible attempts of others to wring from Christ what they hold of good or to make them fling it away or shake it off from them Robore hic opus esse judicat quia plurima sunt quae fidelibus haec dona excutere possunt nisi tenere omnibus modis contendant saith Pareus in locum We might be encouraged by many examples of Martyrs yea some Heathen may be alluded to as that of Attilius the Roman who fighting for a Ship at Sea held fast on her with one hand after another till both were cut off Valer. Max. another whose hands were off held fast with his teeth so christians should mordicus tenere But I shall have occasion to speak more of this point by and by under one of the Motives in the Context Quest But it may be asked again What need the people of God be charged with care of duty of this nature since there be such precious promises made unto them that the Lord will keep them and preserve them and his graces in them so that they shall never depart or fall away from him nor ever be plucked out of his hand but be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation See Jer. 32. 40. Joh. 10. 28 29. 1 Pet. 1. 5. They that belong to the Lord shall retaine that which shall bring them or suffice to accompany them to everlasting glory and happiness and why then need they be solicitous about holding fast that which they have Answ We have to answer divers things First For particular persons even such as are elect and called and perswaded too of their interest in such precious promises they notwithstanding these promises are obliged by command from God to look to their own self-spiritual preservation and that in a subserviency to Gods providence for the accomplishment of his promises It was not said ungroundedly by that Ancient so it be rightly understood Qui creavit te sine te non servabit te sine te c. God hath ordered most wisely and justly that the first spark of grace which he giveth to his beloved ones should be employed and improved instrumentally under his own supreme agency for both their preservation and advance of their happy condition Therefore mark it the fear which he puts into their hearts that is that holy circumspect fear not secure presumption is made a preservative for their not departing away from him in that Jer. 32. 40. And though he keep them by his own power yet it it is through the continued acting and exercising of their faith that he keeps them unto salvation In that 1 Pet. 1. 5. Secondly For particular Churches gathered in visible communion and frame of Government there be no promises made unto any of them for ought I have heard and remember nor ever were that they should be perpetually preserved either without decay or without dissolution and therefore there is no cause why Church-members should be remisse and negligent in holding fast those Church-Ordinances Liberties and Priviledges which they enjoy at present if they regard the good of that collective body whereof they are because they have no ground of promise to pretend for security against a suddain change and alteration Yea thirdly suppose a promise made to a particular Church for its preservation for a time yet the Lord will not have that Church slacken her care and endeavour of preserving her self no not during that season My proof by way of instance is near at hand Christ made a promise to this Church at Philadelphia in the verse before my Text that he would keep her from the hour of temptation that should come upon all the world to try them that do dwell upon the earth and yet presently he forewarns her to hold that fast which she had This is very observable She might not expostulate Lord since thou wilt keep me what need I take any care of keeping my self No Churches as Churches must learn to serve under Gods promises and providences for their own good as well as particular Christians And Gods known purposed indulgences should not occasion his servants negligences How much more cause then have those Churches to take this warning which have no such special promises made unto them as none of the particular Churches of Christ for ought I know have at this day These things being in some sort cleared I shall pesent you with what I have further to say in the way of usual improvement of the Doctrine delivered Use 1. First I beseech you to make use of this Point by ●●y of Caution in reference to the Object We have heard what it is which the servants and Churches of Christ respectively are to hold fast Now because there is a tenacity a disposition to hold fast something or other in every one and yet every thing which one hath is not worth holding fast therefore let us try what it is only that we have be sure to hold fast that which