Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	bear_v	good_a	zion_n	25	3	8.7803	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68718	A key of heaven the Lords Prayer opened, and so applied, that a Christian may learne how to pray, and to procure all things which may make for the glorie of God, and the good of himselfe, and of his neighbour : containing likewise such doctrines of faith and godlines, as may be very usefull to all that desire to live godly in Christ Iesus.	Scudder, Henry, d. 1659?; Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1633 (1633)	STC 22122; ESTC S1717	241,855	822

to be prayed against but not their persons except in the case following Thus David I pray thee 2 Sam. 15.31 turne the counsell of Achitophell into foolishnesse Act. 4.29 And the Apostles say Now Lord behold their threatnings Wee may therefore pray that God would restraine the malice and abate the power and defeate the plots of the adversaries but must not pray against their persons but love them for it may bee they doe belong to God as Paul did who was once a persecutor 3 The very persons of those which sinne unto death incurably may be prayed against I say not saith Iohn 1 Ioh. 5.19 that he shall pray for it And Paul wisheth that they were cut off that did trouble that Church Gal 5.12 David prayeth against the malicious enemies of Christ Psal 69.38 saying Let them be blotted out of the booke of the living and not be written with the righteous But this kind of sinners cannot be discerned by ordinary spirits this kinde of imprecation therefore must be left unto such spirits as was David's and the Apostles and must bee forborne of ordinary Christians except it be when the Church hath righly for evident and just cause cut men off by the curse of Anathema Maranatha not from the body of the Church onely but from the head Christ also as those deserve to be which are open malicious and inveterate Apostates 4 The persons of our enemies and persecutors though they doe what they can to hinder the Gospell are not to be prayed against For our Saviour prayed Father forgive them Luk. 23.34 they know not what they doe Steven said Act. 7.60 Lord lay not this sinne to their charge Yea wee are commanded to pray for them which despitefully use us Mat 5.44 and persecute us 5 Prayer may be made that God would sometimes inflict temporall judgments upon obstinate sinners but without limiting the Lord unto particulars so it be conditionally if their case require it and that it be in love to their soules and persons that they may be therby made to seeke God Thus David prayed Psal 83.16 Fill their faces with shame that they may seeke thy Name O Lord. 6 Lastly God must bee interessed in the cause else no man must be prayed against Gods dishonour not onely a mans private wrong must cause it It must proceed from holy zeale for God and not from passion and private spleene and desire of revenge These rules observed it may be knowne when and how a Christian may imprecate evill against his and Gods enemies and how and when he may not The last thing in the kingdome of grace for which praier must be made concernes the liberties and franchizes therof which are the very good commoditie Rom. 14.16 or livelihood of the subject which so farre as respects this life are freedome from the curse of the Law and dominion of sinne Rom. 6.11 a freedome in righteousnesse thence peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost of which the Apostle saith the kingdome of God doth consist scil In righteousnesse peace joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 The last thing of all which is considerable in this petition is the kingdome of glory Concerning which request must bee made that God would hasten it that Christ would overcome the last enemie 1 Cor. ●5 26 death and so put all enemies under his feet that he would come to judgement in his appointed time to magnifie himself in his just vengeance upon the wicked 2 Thes 1.8 1 Cor. 6.2 the Saints sitting upon them with him in judgement and that he would bestow perfect glory upon all the elect 2 Thes 1.10 whereby hee himselfe may be perfectly glorified in them at that day when also the forme of governing this kingdome by him as Mediator being determined he shall have delivered the kingdome up to the Father 1 Cor. 15.24.28 that God may be all in all to the glory of Father Sonne and holy Ghost for evermore Amen Amen Some of the particulars mentioned in this petition I doe confesse will come to be condered again in the fourth fifth and sixth petitions as the continuance of the course of nature magistracy peace of conscience and eternall glory likewise power against sinne and increase of grace yet the petitioner shall not therein tautologize or make vaine repetitions For here they are mentioned onely as meanes to set forth the glory of God in the comming of his kingdome that his Name may be hallowed but there they have respect to the good of man The Doctrine being thus inlarged the Vses will more easily follow First all such as desire not Vse 1 the comming of Gods kingdome according to the particulars before rehearsed are to be reproved As all that are enemies to civilitie and unto Schooles of learning who because of some abuse of them which will alwaies be of the best things thinke them needlesse All such as deny magistracie be they Familists or Anabaptists or any other for it is their great sinne All such magistrates themselves which turne the point of their authoritie against the Church or at best like Gallio Act. 38.17 care not which way it goe with it well or ill All idle or unfaithfull Ministers which in stead of directing Christs spouse unto him doe smite and wound her Can. 5.7 and shame her by taking her veile from her who in stead of feeding doe starve or poyson Christs flocke All Governours of the Church which make sad the heart of the righteous Ezek. 13.22 and make glad the hearts of the wicked which censure thrust out the good● and receive into the Church and hold in the bad In a word all that doe not beare good will to Sion which is indeed to be an enemy for in this case Hee that is not with us Mat. 1● 30 is against us saith Christ and hee that doth not gather scattereth Lastly if any be open persecutors of the truth or seducers and inticers from it all these may see in this Doctrine as in a large glasse their errors and foule blemishes But he which will say Goe ye cursed Mat. 25.41 42. to all that do not prove themselves to be his friends will have to reckon with all the enemies of his kingdome How many be there that hypocritically will say Thy kingdome come and yet use all meanes to hinder it and keepe it downe And if it came in any place it is the very burden and vexation of their soules Is not this most grosly to mock God But woe be to such Pharises hypocrites which will say to God our Father Thy kingdome come and yet will as much as they can hinder the passage or power of the Gospell of his kingdome Mat. 23 13 which will not enter themselves nor by their good will suffer those that would to enter in Be wise in time It is not safe to cast off or refuse the yoke

must take those deeds for currant pay when they are but meere counterfeit stuffe if they trie their deeds by the touch of the directions before given Yet none so readie to upbraid God and hit him in the teeth as we speak with How good they are and what service they do him as these kinde of men who will challenge God like them in Isaiah Isa 58.3 Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest us not wherefore have we afflicted our soule and thou takest no knowledge No men presume that God should save them more than these They will say Lord Mat. 7.22 Lord have not we prophecied in thy Name and in thy Name cast out devils But he will answer I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquitie For actions which are good in the matter thereof yet do stinke and are very iniquitie in Gods account Isa 1.13 if they be not done aright For what is not done with a good conscience and in truth of heart is not done at all in Gods account for he looketh to the heart and manner how all things be performed Let it be every mans prayer Vse 2 and endevor to do good things well to fulfill Gods will in an heavenly manner viz. upon good ground with good conscience and good affections This is the heart life and verie soule of every good action And though there may happen to be some failings in the matter of what is done which also is not to bee allowed yet if the heart be upright in the manner God doth beare with much weaknesse and doth accept of truth and uprightnesse As in heaven The patterne of the right manner of doing Gods will is a perfect one taken from heaven Christ would have all men ayme at this whence note Doct. 5 Christians must ayme at perfection They must alwayes presse hard forward to attaine it Now the God of peace make you perfect to do his will saith the Apostle Hebr. 13.20 21. Let us go on unto perfection Heb. 6.1 Let us perfect holines in the feare of God saith he 2. Cor. 7.1 Naturall things do affect Reason and in their manner long after the perfection of themselves An infant is still growing in the wombe untill it come to a perfection Light bodies are not quiet if they be not above and in their place So that it may justly be doubted there is not truth of Christianity if there be not a desire and longing after perfection of Christianitie This blameth all that thinke Vse 1 they know enough and have made progresse farre enough in the race of Christianitie But what saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 9.24 Not all that runne receive the price If men fall back or stand at a stay they can never finish their course Wherefore hee would have others do as he did So run that they might obtaine and so fight that they might get the masterie and win the crowne Hee that puts his hand to the plough and looketh backe he is not apt for the kingdome of God Luke 9.62 Vse 2 Meanes of growing towards perfectiō The thoughts of heaven and of the patternes for imitation which are in heaven and the state of perfection in which we shall be when we come to heaven should be load-stones to draw us to heaven-ward and to perfection Be perfect saith Christ Mat. 5.48 as your heavenly Father is perfect in everie thing and everie way perfect The way to attaine this is first to convince the heart that we ought to bee perfect Phil. 3.12.13 then see with the Apostle that wee are not alreadie perfect Thirdly let us not look on what wee have done and what is behinde but on that which is before to bee done Fourthly 2. Cor. 7.1 be daily purging our selves from filthinesse of flesh and spirit and so perfect holinesse Fiftly that we may do all these be daily conversant in the reading hearing and meditation of the holy Scriptures for their end is 2. Tim. 3.17 to make the man of God perfect Lastly give al diligence and presse forward Phil. 3.14 as the Apostle did toward the marke and price of the high calling of God in Christ. Thus do and the rather because he that doth not ayme at perfection of degrees hath not the perfection of truth and of parts The fourth Petition Give us this day our daily bread Having dispatched the handling of the three first Petitions which did more immediately concerne God wee are now come to the other three which do more especially concerne man which are also meanes to enable a man to glorifie God by doing his will These petitions following concerne man in a double respect First in respect of the outward man for sustaining the bodie and life of nature in this fourth petition Secondly in respect of the inward man and good of the soule also scil the life of grace the hindrance whereof is sinne concerning which the Lord directeth his disciples to deprecate and pray against two things First the guilt and damnation of sinne praying for justification in the fifth Petition Secondly against the power dominion of sinne praying for sanctification in the sixt and last Petition Request for to have a comfortable naturall life and being upon earth doth follow immediately upon the request of doing Gods will on earth for the dead cannot praise God And if a man be not gathered into Christs kingdome before death there is no hope Isa 38.18.19 For there is no worke nor device nor knowledge in the grave Eccles 9.10 Wherefore because no man can doe the will of God on earth except God give him a comfortable life upon earth this petition followeth next the other in a most holy order This petition is placed before the other two which concerne the estate of the soule and of the life of grace not in order of prioritie of dignitie as if the temporall estate of the body were more needfull or more excellent than the eternall life of the soule for this latter is farre more excellent but because in order of nature the naturall life is before the spiritual and a man must have a being in nature before he can have a being in grace and a comfortable naturall life is both the fitter subject for the life of grace and fitter instrument by which grace worketh and doth the will of God upon earth therefore it is first prayed for Besides it is usuall in Scripture that the thing which is least to be insisted upon is placed first in order before that which sometimes is more excellent that having finished the lesse worthy subject in few words it might dwell more largely upon that subject which was most worthy As the histories of Iaphet and cursed Cham Gen. 10. are set before that of blessed Shem Gen. 36. and after Isaacks death the storie of prophane Esau i● for this cause set before that of Iacob Gen. 37. So our Saviour in one petition and in few