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	heart_n	spirit_n	1,847	5	4.7999	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85401	Irelands advocate: or, A sermon preached upon Novem. 14, 1641. to promote the contributions by way of lending, for the present reliefe of the Protestants party in Ireland. In the parrish church of St. Stephens Coleman Street London, by the pastor there.	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1642 (1642)	Wing G1178; Thomason E149_2; ESTC R5164	23,228	41

the commandement might have secmed somewhat hard and the practise of it might have bin stuck at but now since he who hath ingaged us to ingage our selves so deeply in the behalfe of others when they stand in need hath ingaged them likewise to ingage themselves proportionably for us when we stand in need obedience unto the commandement cannot but seeme very equall and reasonable as well on our part in respect of others as upon others in respect of us The Apostle taketh off the seeming hardnesse or offensivenesse of that demand which he made to the Church of Corinth for somewhat a larger contribution then ordinary the necessities of the Saints in other places requiring it for the present by this very consideration or reason 2 Cor 8. 13. For I meane not saith he that other men be eased and you burdened But by an equalitie that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want that their abundance also may be a supply for your want that there may be equality Reason 7 GOD hath endued those that are his with power from on high to doe it he hath furnished them with a new principle out of which by a due and conscionable improvement of it in themselves they are able to afford all that is required of them in this kinde So that if any man or woman I meane that is borne againe and is a childe of GOD shall finde their hearts low and base and unworthy in this kinde below the line and levell of that duty now presented unto you it is because they doe not effectually stirre up the grace of God within them as the Apostle somewhere speakes they bow downe their backs to the suggestions of the flesh whereas their strength were it put forth accordingly would serve them to goe upright Consider that one Scripture to this purpose 1 Pet. 1. 22. Seeing you have purified your Soules in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the Brethren see that yee love one another with a pure heart fervently Here two things amongst many others are plainely implied First that no man is able out of any naturall principle to love the Brethren that is the Saints the heart must be purified through the word and Spirit of GOD together that is that base and drossie affection of inordinate self-love must be purged away before a man be able to lift up his heart to such a spirituall and heavenly service as this Secondly that a man or woman having obtained such an excellent principle as this a power of loving the Saints unfeignedly through the purifying of their hearts are bound in a speciall manner to give out themselves fully and freely according to the nature strength and importance of this principle to expresse themselves in excellent termes of love and respects unto them as their necessities shall require it This for the 7 and last reason We addresse immediatly to the Vse and application of the Doctrine we shall be very briefe in particulars here By way of Instruction in the first place we may from the Doctrine observe sundry particulars As First that the minde and good pleasure of JESUS CHRIST concerning his Saints and people on Earth is that you should be a societie or body of men and women in the world animated and quickened as it were mooved and acted by a spirit of love as the life or soule of it that you should abound in this affection above all other societies of men whatsoever Doubtlesse he that commands us to lay down our lives one for another commands us also by a commandement involv'd and wrap'd up in this commandement to maintaine a Spirit of most ardent and burning affection towards one another A man can never be instructed or taught to die willingly by any other teacher or teaching whatsoever but by Love yea and that such a Love of such a conquering and commanding power that it must tread downe the strength of a thousand loves and desires besides yea and many of these of soveraigne strength and power also To require a man to lay downe his life for the Brethren out of any other ground or principle whatsoever then out of an affection of love to them and that transcendently glorious is in effect to bid him gather grapes of thornes or figges of thistles Secondly This likewise is by way of instruction observable from the Doctrine That men doe but that which is their duty in this kinde when they are enlarged in the greatest measure in the expressions of their love towards their Brethren if they should give all their goods and part with their whole substance to them yea if they should lay downe their necks and jeopardie their lives for their sakes yet there is nothing to boast of in all this they are never-the-lesse to remaine vile and little in their own eyes If their right hand doth never so much in this kinde yet should not their left hand know any thing at all of it Heights of duty should no waies prejudice or hinder the depths of humilitie So likewise yee saith our Saviour to his Disciples when you shall have done all things that are commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to doe Observe Thirdly by way of Instruction what gratious and blessed provision the Lord JESUS CHRIST hath made for the poore and weake and distressed ones in any kinde in his Church Hee hath ingaged the rich and strong and those that are at libertie and that have meanes of reliefe or support in any kinde in their hand to be ready at all times to minister unto them The necessities of any as farre as they are made knowne are a summons from Heaven to call the rest to looke after them and relieve them If this royall Law were duly observed in the Church of CHRIST one sufferer should create and raise up many relievers neither should there be heard the complaint or crie of any man sinking whilst there remaines any one swimming It is a signe that the minde of CHRIST is not fulfilled by his body if there be one member hungry whilst another is drunken if there be want in any place before there be want in all Fourthly we are yet in the way of instruction If the highest and deepest expressions of our love to the Saints be but matter of duty in us as their necessities may determine it then is it not any discharge of a mans duty nor to be counted obedience unto GOD or unto the Lord JESUS CHRIST when the necessities of your Brethren being great and sore upon them men shall minister unto them in a sparing pinching and contemptible manner when the condition of the Saints requires it may be the one halfe of our substance and we cast in two mites into their treasury when their exigences call us to lay downe our lives for them and we are willing onely to bestow the parings of our nailes upon them Doubtlesse

soules to consider them Secondly the Protestant party of your Brethren are but very weake in comparison of their enemies they are but few in number in respect of the swarms of those Anti-Christian hornets that nestle amongst them and that which is yet of sadder consideration they are but naked and unarm'd and no waies appointed or provided to defend themselves having not long since had their Armes and meanes of defence most cruelly taken from them by him who hath made some part of attonement for that and other his outrages with his head In which respect they are but as a flock of Kids before an Host or Army of Lyons Let this consideration also of the weaknesse of your Brethren strengthen the hand of your love and make tender your respects unto them Thirdly their enemies are of a bloody barbarous and revengefull spirit all mercie pittie and compassion yea humanitie it selfe is hid from their eyes there is neither age nor sex neither young-men nor Maids neither old-men nor Babes but all are one before the rage of their cruelty They have shut up all the bowells of their compassions as it were with barres of yron that neither cries nor teares nor misries nor extremities nor the Law of GOD nor the Lawes of men nor the Lawes of nature or humanitie it selfe can doe any thing to open them I beseech you let the shutting up of the compassions of the enemies of your Brethren against them be the opening of your compassions so much the more freely so much the more abundantly unto them Fourthly they are deeply indeed most desperatly ingaged to goe through with their enterprize and are under a vow to make as cleere riddance of Protestants and Protestant Religion out of the Kingdome as their lying Legend reports that their Saint Patrick made of Serpents Toades al venimous creatures They have made a covering of their breaden God wherewith to hide all repentance from their eyes so that all relentings all doubtings all faintings or feeblenesse of spirit all hanging down of hands from the worke in hand are no lesse then deadly sins with them if they looke backe from the Plough whereunto they have now put forth their hand they are afraide they shall fall into Hell immediatly That God and creature of theirs which they make of bread is amongst them of as great authority and power as the Poets made the Rivers Styx in Hell to be among their Heathen God's when they sware by it Timor et Deus ille Deorum est It is the inspiration of their Religion and teachers that it is no lesse then damnable sinne and to be punished with Hell fire once to doubt or question whether it be meritorious or no to murder Kings and Princes when the advancement of the Catholique cause requireth it I beseech you let the height of their resolutions and the depths of their ingagements to doe evill be both heights and depths of ingagements and resolutions unto you to doe good to the countermanding if it be possible of their evill Fiftly they have already consecrated themselves unto the Devill and his service upon the lives and blood of many of the servants of GOD your Brethren in the Faith hewing and hacking some in pieces as it were on purpose to quench and smother all sparkes of humanity that might yet be alive in their brests after they had murdered them and by other most barbarous villanies and outrages committed upon them setting themselves a coppie as it were for their future proceedings and giving those that yet remaine to understand what measure they must expect and looke for if they make resistance and meane to keepe their Religion I beseech you let the lives and cruell and cursed usages of those that have already perished by their intercede mediate with the bowells of your compassions on the behalfe of the remnant which is yet left Sixtly It is the holinesse purity and truth of that Faith and Religion which your selves professe and wherein you hope to be saved that hath kindled that fire of hatred and revenge in those Romish spirits which is now broken out rageing and devouring as you have heard These servants of God whose cause we now pleade before you are for no other cause nor in any other respect made the miserable objects of the wrath and furie of their enemies exposed to that fiery storme and tempest of blood that hangs over their heads but because they are your Brethren and Professors of the same Precious Faith with you They suffer not as evill doers but only because they have given the right hand of fellowship unto you in the things of GOD and of the Lord JESUS CHRIST I hope the power of that Religion which you professe will set you on fire to make up the breaches which the Profession of it hath made or further shall make upon others Seventhly Consider that the cause for the maintenance whereof you are now sollicited being so cleerely and intirely as it is the cause of your Religion and you of this Citie looked upon as the greatest Friends as the solemnest and most serious Professors which it hath not only in this but in all other Kingdomes also under Heaven and withall many of you being of knowne estates and sufficient abilities to doe much for it in that way which is now expected from you if then you shall now discover any backwardnesse in ministring to the necessities of it if you shall give the least suspition to the world that your estates are competitors for your hearts with your Religion if your contributions towards the maintenance of it shall either fall low or come off heavily from you you shall much quench the glory and esteeme of it in the hearts of men and represent it unto the world as a Religion weake and contemptible and of a doubtfull assureanc upon the service whereof silver and gold were too great to be sacrificed The truth is that the opportunity that is before you enableth you to set the prize and estimate of your Religion at what rate or height you please you have the world at such an advantage to compell them to thinke highly and honourable of that truth which you professe the losse and neglect whereof would be an inexpiable streyne of unworthinesse in you and which you can hardly ever redeeme no though you should sacrifice your selves and your whole estates in the flames of the greatest zeale for it afterwards Nay if you shall sinne against the Crowne and dignitie of the Religion you professe by being remisse and low and cold in the service recommended unto you all the Professors it hath in the world besides though they should rise up in their might and cloath themselves with double zeale to doe their uttermost for it will not be able to build up what you will throw down nor exalt the glory of it according to the measure of your abasements Therefore if your Religion be of that inestimable worth and value