Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	age_n	church_n	time_n	2,142	5	3.6322	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32091	A practical discourse concerning vows with a special reference to baptism and the Lord's Supper / by Edmund Calamy.	Calamy, Edmund, 1671-1732.	1697 (1697)	Wing C274; ESTC R6151	137,460	320

Writing for the use of the Church in all Ages 'T was he that gave such convincing Evidence of the Truth of Christianity at first by Innumerable Open and Uncontroulable Miracles in order to the first Introducing it into the World and the confirming the Faith of it in all after times and 't is he that hath been giving his Testimony to the Truth thereof in all succeeding Ages even down to this very day in producing the Saving Effects thereof on Mens Hearts notwithstanding so much such united and such vigorous Opposition 'T is his office to Illuminate convince of Sin Righteousness and Judgement to Quicken Strengthen Comfort Succour Guard and Enliven and Seal unto the day of Redemption He is the Author of all saving Light and Grace and the first spring of every good Work the Beginner Maintainer and Encreaser of the Spiritual Life and Issuer of it in that that will be Eternal AND accordingly that part of a Christians Sacramental Vows that relates to God the Holy Ghost is a serious engagement to use him as our Saviours Deputy in all the parts of his Office to take the Holy Scriptures as of his Inspiration as the rule of our Faith and Life and to adhere to that Religion the Truth whereof he hath so many ways attested Earnestly to implore his help and assistance and carefully to use it when given to keep our Minds open to his Light to yield to his Convictions and comply with his Motions to hearken to his Voice and follow his Conduct to wait humbly for him in all ways of Divine Appointment to depend upon his Aids to receive his Comforts and by Strength derived from him to be continually walking in the way of Holiness towards Everlasting Happiness Thus are each of the Persons in the Trinity distinctly concern'd in our Sacramental Vows 3. OUR Sacramental Vows summarily comprehend the whole of our Religion A great Noise and Stir there hath been in the World about Fundamentals fierce and earnest have been the Disputes among the Learned about the number and nature of them and various have been the ways pitcht on to determine what points are absolutely Necessary and what not But when all 's done the Christian Covenant which in Baptism is Initiated and afterwards at the Lords Table renew'd confirm'd and ratifi'd would if rightly consider'd give us the clearest Notions of the great Essentials of our Holy Religion All the great Principles of our Faith are comprehended under the distinct Agency of God the Father Son and Spirit in bringing about our Salvation and Happiness to which our Sacramental Vows have a direct Reference as appears from the former head And as for the Practical part of our Religion no Essential of that can be wanting in them since they take in the whole compass of our Duty The whole Moral Law which always was is and will be the Rule of Duty is reducible to two Heads The Love of God and our Neighbour As for the Love of God that is to be exprest by a serious Acknowledgement of him and renouncing all that would rival it with him an hearty zeal for his Worship and his Name and a punctual Sanctifying of that Portion of time he hath consecrated for himself And if we heartily Love our Neighbours we shall be ready to do to them as we would have them in like Circumstances do to us to give all the respect to any that is due to their place and to be tender of the Life Chastity Goods and Name of all we have to do with and never envy their Prosperity To all which our Sacramental Vows are Solemn Engagements And so are they also to all those Duties which our Blessed Saviour hath in the Gospel peculiarly enforct as Self-denial Mortification the taking up of our Cross giving and forgiving Charity Relieving the Poor Succouring the Distressed and helping the Necessitous forgiving Injuries without Retalliating or giving way to Revenge Unity and Peace and the like Would we therefore have a compleat and full a distinct and clear and comprehensive Idea of our whole Religion would we take it in at one view that we may the better discern its Excellency Order and Beauty and be the more Enamoured with it let us turn our eyes to the Christian Covenant to our Sacramental Vows and there we may have it 4. THE Obligation and Binding Force of Sacramental Vows is Perpetual and can never cease The Acts themselves may be quickly perform'd and soon over But their Obligation will last as long as our lives Some sorts of Vows may cease to be binding when the reason of them ceases or a greater Duty would be hinder'd or a greater danger Incurr'd or the like But none of these things can happen as to those our Vows that are attended with Sacramental Solemnities Perseverance and Constancy in our Duty to the last is one part of the matter of those Vows For we do therein engage not only that we 'll be Faithful and Dutiful and Obedient in the general but that we 'll persist and hold on in our Duty whatsoever it costs us and whatever troubles or difficulties we meet withal That by the strength of God we won't flinch nor give way that if we fail we 'll be Sorry and Repent and Divine Grace assisting us to our work again and so doing hold out to the last till in fighting the good fight of Faith we have finisht our course and so come to lay hold on Eternal Life CHAP. IV. Of the BAPTISMAL VOW The Sum of it in Form as made by Persons Baptiz'd when ADULT BAPTISM was Instituted by our Blessed Lord as a Sacred Rite whereby Persons were to be first Initiated into the Christian Covenant And be it sooner or later Administred it carries in it an Obligation to all the duties of that Covenant on which its Blessings are suspended In Baptism there is always either exprest or imply'd a Vow of hearty complyance with all the demands of our Holy Religion without which suppos'd the pouring on of Water in the name of the Father Son and Spirit by the Minister as Gods Representative would be utterly Unavailable either to seal or convey those Inestimable Gospel Blessings of Pardon and Peace Adoption and a Right to Life But this Vow must be differently consider'd by all that would avoid Confusion according to the Different state of the Subjects of Baptism which are either Persons Adult that are come to years of Understanding and so are capable of transacting Personally for themselves or the Children of Christian Parents in their Infant State The case of the former is the subject of this and that of the latter of the following Chapter ADULT Persons before they are Baptiz'd ought seriously to consider what Christianity will oblige them to and to reckon their costs before hand that they may come under so Solemn an Engagement as Baptism carries in it understandingly deliberately and with full consent of Heart that there may be no danger of after