Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	apostle_n	church_n	time_n	4,784	5	3.9277	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94049	Immanuel, or The church triumphing in God with us. A sermon preached before the right honorable House of Lords, in the Abbey of Westminster; at their publique thanksgiving, November 5th 1644. By John Strickland, B.D. Pastor of the church at St Edmunds in Nevv Sarum. A member of the Assembly of Divines.	Strickland, John, 1600 or 1601-1670.	1644 (1644)	Wing S5971; Thomason E19_15; ESTC R12729	27,641	46

with him in behalf of the Church and thereupon he should be invincible Josh 1.5 Josh 1.5 There shall not any man he able to stand before thee all the dayes of thy life as I was with Moses so will I be with thee By vertue of this presence the instruments of the Churches help are instruments in Gods hand which puts upon them such a majestie and furnisheth them with such a power as that nothing dare or can stand in their way When God will use the poorest creature as an instrument in his hand either of mercy or justice it is exceedingly set up in esteem though otherwise in it self it be but contemptible and by making them so dreadfull the Lord powres out a spirit of feare and amazement upon the enemies of the Church who when they see the presence of God in and with his servants cannot stand before them Which made the Psalmist so earnest with the Lord by prayer to arise and shew himself Psal 68.1 2. Psal 68.1 2. Let God arise let his enemies be scattered let them also that hate him flee before him As smoak is driven away so drive them away as wax melteth before the sire so let the wicked perish at the presence of God So it was with the Aegyptians when once they perceived Gods presence with Israel they were presently routed and took it their best course to flee Exod. 14.25 Exod. 14.25 Let us flee from the face of Israel for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians So it was also with the enemies of the Church that ver 6. of this Psalme rose up in rage against her the Lord did no sooner declare himselfe to be for the Church by uttering his voyce but as wax melteth before the fire they melted the earth melted Vse 1 1. Hence they must needs be concluded enemies to the Church of England that would have bereaved her of such a precious priviledge in driving away Gods presence from her such a generation of men there were among us that by compliances with Idols and Idolatry went about to drive God away and yet bore up themselves as the onely friends and patrons of the Church of England What consistence can there be between the Ark and Dagon What concord between God and Idols By their cursed innovations the glory was even departing from our Israel and the Church of England made even like Jerusalem when the glory of the Lord was upon the threshold to depart Ezek. 9.3 Ezek. 9.3 The glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the Cherub whereupon he was to the threshold of the house a sad praeludium saith Calvin of his departure indeed for though it returned from the threshold of the house and stood over the Cherubims againe Ezek. 10.18 as loth to depart Ezek. 11.23 yet Ezek. 11.23 at length the glory of the Lord went not onely to the threshold of the house but unto the middest of the Citie and from the middest of the city to the tops of the mountains How far the state of our Church hath run parallel to those tragical dispensations in Jerusalem I leave to your wise observations but sure I am Gods presence both of grace in his Ordinances and of providence in our State-affaires which hath been heretofore the glory of our Land was not long since in a departing posture upon the threshold with us God was weary of our new Moons and Sabbaths and the calling of our Assemblies he could not smell in our solemn feasts our sacrifices were an abomination to him through the noysomness of those corruptions which Hophni and Phinehas superstitious and wicked men in the Priesthood mingled with them yea look what made the Lord forsake the Tabernacle of Shilo where he had placed his Named Psa 78.58 60. Psal 78.58 60. the same was found in the middest of us They provoked God to anger with their high places and moved him to jealousie with their graven Images whereby they have caused the Lord so far to forsake us that as the Prophet speaketh Here is a great forsaking in the midst of the land and the Church as a man in deliquio Isa 6.12 by the conflicts of truth and error is brought to that passe Ut nec morbum ferre potest nec remedium shee faints under our hands while you the Physicians of Church and State are about the cure and the spring of our present miseries in the Church was the late corruption and tyrannie of those in the Ministery that lorded it over Gods heritage their Popish setting up the power of nature and depressing the grace of God in matters of salvation formerly hath begotten a sleighting of all inherent sanctification and a scorning of all duties of obedience to the Law in these dayes under pretext of setting up the free grace of God their pressing men with such rigour to conformity hath begotten an humour of separation from all order and uniformity in our Church I might shew the like in other evills of errours and divisions now among us whereby confusion is threatned both to the Church and State and which and many mischieves of another kind have been occasioned by them Vse 2 2. Let us learn to improve this truth to the best advantage of our Church and State both by labouring to get God an interest of presence in our counsels and in our armies surely it will both secure us in time of danger and make the Church for ever invincible If God be with us saith the Apostle Rom. 8.31 who can be against us the danger of our times the malice of our enemies How the consideration of Gods presence with the Church may be improved at present to a fourfold advantage of our Church and the distractions of our selves call upon us earnestly to such indeavour and also by taking the advantage and opportunity of Gods presence with us to carry on the publike work of Church and Stage-reformation against all opposition with more life and cheerfulnesse for which purpose wee may make a fourfold advantage of Gods presence with us 1. It may incourage men to stand up and heighten their spirits in standing for the Churches cause that Gods presence with the Church makes her so impregnable if the Lord in former times did but lift up an ensign if he did but hisse the nations from far and they from the ends of the earth would come with speed swiftly to the work of the Lord Isa 5.26 how much more should a people that are not strangers Isa 5.29 be incouraged to come with speed swiftly to the work of the Lord when hee hath not only lift up an Ensign and given a Eanner to them that feare him that it might be displayed because of the truth Psal 60.4 but also hee himselfe stands up and having girded his sword upon his thigh Psal 60.4 with his glory and with his majesty will goe before them therein to be with to fight for them Gideon

desired no more encouragement to undertake the Churches cause then that hee might bee assured the Lord would be with him therein What great exploration he makes Judg. 6. Judg. 6. He questions vers 12 13. then he requires the signe of consuming his present in the nature of a Sacrifice vers 17. Then another signe by the dew upon the fleece and the ground dry And again by the dew on the ground and the fleece dry vers 36. And all this that he might but be sure the Lord would be with him in the Churches warres against the Midianites and that hee might but write this Motto upon his Ensigne The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon * Malus miles qui gemens Imperatorem sequitur What faint heart would not gather spirit to follow such a Leader cheerfully and that in such a cause as is unconquerable Luther did hearten himselfe and his followers in the work of Reformation even the same reformation that is now a doing that Christ was with them * Si nos ruemus ruet Christus und scil●cet regnator ille mundi Luther and that if the did sinke therein Christ also the governour of the world must sink with them It was wont to be the word of encouragement from God to his servants of old in any great undertaking Goe and I will be with you Let it be the encouragement of men at this day to shew themselves and to be really active in the great affaires of the Church and Kingdome 2. To support the hearts of Gods people that they may hold out in these discouraging times wherein apsition is great distractions are many and deliverances long a comming Gods presence with the Church is a sufficient pawne of a good issue at length to make faith patience hold out Deliverance shal come saith Mordecai though the Queen upon whom depends much of the Churches hope should be unfaithfull to the cause Est 4.14 Icrem 8.15 Est 4.14 The case of England at this day is much like the calamitous cōdition of the Jews Jer. 8.15 We looked for peace but no good came and for a time of health and behold trouble We have passed through and beyond so many horizons of hope expecting the period of our trouble to have lien in their severall compasses as that such a battell will bring things toward an issue such a man and such an army will give a good stroke to the businesse by such and such a time wee shall see what will become of things this yeere and that Summer Verse 20. we hope will put an end to all and still have been deceived of our hopes as ver 20. The Harvest is past and the Summer is ended and yet wee are not saved so that now when wee would comfort our selves against sorrow Verse 18. ver 18. our hearts are faint in us Against these faintings of our hopes apply this truth now set before you Gods presence with the Church makes her for ever invincible and then with faithfull Abraham we may against hope believe in hope Rom. 4.18 though the vision be yet for an appointed time we may believe the Prophets word and therefore may follow the Prophets counsell Hab. 2.3 Hab. 2.3 At the end it shall speak and not lie though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry 3. To be a preservative against carnall fears which may sometimes surprize the hearts of people well affected to the cause and Church of God when the Church is brought low even under the power of an insulting enemy that would be as mercilesse as fire against water the Lord applies this his presence with the Church the assurance thereof as a present remedy in such a case Isa 43.1 2. Feare not Isa 43.1 2. for I will be with thee both in fire and water When the Prophet David considered his interest in God he is carried above all feares and expostulates as if it were unreasonable for a man to feare any man Psal 27.1 or any thing in opposition to God Psal 27.1 The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid It were to undervalue God if wee should feare the creatures when he is with us Antigonus when he over-heard his souldiers reckoning how many their enemies were hee steps in unto them suddenly demanding And how many do you reckon mee for so God may at once both shame and incourage our fearfull hearts when they are too much apaled at the multitude or strength of enemies if he should put us to the question how many we reckon the Lord for and whether he be not an over-match for all the enemies that the world can possibly muster against the Church Let us therefore improve Gods presence with his Church to stave off all carnall feares as Caleb and Joshua did incourage the Israelites who had been discouraged from looking after the land of Canaan by the former Spies that had told them the Inhabitants were sons of Anak and the cities in Canaan were walled up to heaven whereby the hearts of Israel were strongly possessed with carnall feare Caleb and Joshua strove by this truth to raise up their hearts Numb 14.9 saying Numb 14.9 Only rebell not yee against the Lord neither feare yee the people of the land for they are bread for us their defence is departed from them and the Lord is with us feare them not 4. To highten our praises his mercie endureth for ever as Gods presence is a Shield and Buckler to the Church against present danger whereby our liberties lives and religion which have been and still are at stake are preserved and the Kingdome not given up to desolation so is it a pledge of perpetuall safety the Church shal not need to fear that ever her enemies shall overcome and lay her waste it makes her for ever invincible the Prophet gives this as a reason why God is so greatly to be praised in the mountain of his holinesse Psal 48.1 because God will establish it for ever Psal 48 1. vers 48. It makes every publick mercie which the Church receives an everlasting mercy our deliverances everlasting deliverances our victories everlasting victories for though the Church may hereafter in her militant cōdition suffer under the hands of cruel men for a time it shall be but for a time for she is like the wise mans house in the Gospell builded upon the Rock Mat. 7.24 25. even that Rock against which the gates of hell shall not prevaile the stormes may beat upon her but they cannot beat her downe she shall out-live all trouble through Gods presence with her and that shall give her rest as God promised Moses So our Psalmist concludes Vers 5 vers 5. God is in the midst of her shee shall not be moved God shall help her and that right early Praise yee the Lord. FINIS